A STUDY ON PRODUCTION OF BANANA FROZEN YOGHURT AND ASSESSING CONSUMER ACCEPTABILITY

Frozen yogurt is a frozen dairy dessert made with yogurt. It's known for its frozen texture as a dessert and higher nutritional value in comparison with ice cream. Frozen yogurt is used much like ice cream and served in a wide variety of flavors and styles around the world. The objective of this project was to develop a healthier frozen yoghurt with natural banana flavour, and to evaluate its sensory acceptability. Banana frozen yoghurt was produced with vanilla and chocolate flavors. The sensory acceptability of products was tested at Department of Veterinary Public health and Pharmacology (VPHP) by conducting two sensory panels. According to the results, in sensory analysis both vanilla and chocolate flavored products were equally accepted. Further studies need to be carried out to improve the product with a higher probiotic value and better texture.Keywords: Frozen Yogurt, Sensory Acceptability1.INTRODUCTIONYoghurt is one of the popular and oldest fermented dairy products around the world. Yoghurt is a healthy food because it contains viable bacteria that are considered as probiotics. It is preferred by people in all ages in different communities, due to its nutritive value and health benefits Mazahreh and Ershidat (2009). Yoghurt is also rich in nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, phosphorus and calcium. It is typically produced by adding conventional starter culture including mainly Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus which produce lactic acid as a byproduct of fermentation. During fermentation process lactose of milk is digested therefore yoghurt easily digested Yildiz (2016)Frozen yoghurt is becoming increasingly popular around the world. It is a fermented dairy dessert that is a combination of yoghurt and ice cream Güven et al. (2002). The physical quality of frozen yoghurt is similar to ice cream whereas the sensory and nutritional benefits are mostly related to yoghurt. Frozen yoghurt is considered a healthier alternative to ice cream due to its low-fatcontent and mostly recommended for the consumers with heart disease, or lactose intolerancePratap et al. (2015). Milk and dairy products do not contain fiber. Fiber is found in the cell wall of fruits, vegetables, and cereals Lunn (2007).Incorporation of dietary fiber in making yoghurt will make it even healthier. The dietary fiber will also enhance the consumer acceptability due to the improvement of colour, flavor and texture Hashim et al. (2009).