TEXTURE PROFILE PROPERTIES, SENSORY EVALUATION, AND SUSCEPTIBILITY TO SYNERESIS OF YOGHURT PREPARED FROM LACTOSE-FREE MILK

Milk and dairy products are high-value foods; however, consumers suffering from lactose intolerance are not able to enjoy the nutritional benefits of these commodities. There are more and more researches and developments focusing on lowering the lactose content of milk and dairy foods in order to make them available for lactose intolerant people. In this study, we examined the coagulation time, product quality, texture profile properties, and syneresis of yoghurts prepared from lactose-free milk. Significant differences were observed between the control and lactose-free milks with respect to coagulation time and texture profile. The first rupture time, the hardness, and the adhesion force of the lactose-free yoghurt were higher compared to the control product. We observed remarkable difference between the whey leakage of control and lactose free yoghurt samples (21.47% and 14.63%). Results coming from instrumental texture profile analyses showed that the preliminary lactose hydrolysis of milk resulted a firmer texture. It was confirmed by the results of sensory evaluation, and considering the texture and taste, there was significant difference between the control and lactose-free yoghurts.