A study on the functional fermented whey based beverage production

In this study, it was aimed to develop a functional whey-based fermented beverage. In this context, a reconstituted whey beverage was prepared by incorporating two different nutraceutical compounds (soy isoflavone and phytosterol) and two different probiotic bacteria (Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5 and Lactobacillus casei- Lbc-81). In the preliminary trials, the level of stabilizer and the rate of demineralization in whey powder were decided. Whether or not, the use of prebiotic components was also decided after the preliminary tests. The samples were stored at 4 ? C for 28 days and were taken into analysis with 7-day intervals. During the storage period, the microbiological, chemical, physical and sensory characteristics of fermented whey beverages were analyzed. According to the data obtained, demineralization and addition of sugar and/or prebiotic components (inulin or fructooligosaccharides) had neither positive nor negative effect on the growth of probiotic bacteria throughout storage. Furthermore, the addition of sugar and functional compounds did not change the basic composition of the products. However, a time-dependent increase on sedimentation/phase separation and acidity of fermented functional beverages was observed. According to sensory evaluations, phytosterol added samples were more preferred by the panel group than the samples supplemented with isoflavone, and no considerable differences were noted between the control sample and the samples supplemented with phytosteol.