Modification of physicochemical, structural, rheological, and organoleptic properties of sweetened condensed milk by maltodextrin, fructose, and lactose

In this study, the effect of replacing sucrose with fructose as well as carrageenan gum with maltodextrin and using lactose to produce sweetened condensed milk as a high-consumption dairy dessert was investigated. Physicochemical, microstructural, microbial, and sensory parameters including acidity, pH, viscosity, particle size, color, total viable count (TVC), mold and yeast, odor, taste, color, texture, and overall acceptability were evaluated during the 30-day storage period. The results demonstrated that with increasing the level of maltodextrin and fructose replacement, the acidity, particle size, organoleptic scores, redness and yellowness increased, and the pH, viscosity, and lightness in the product decreased (p < 0.05). The images obtained from scanning electron microscopy revealed that the number of cavities decreased and the size of the cavities increased with increasing the percentage of maltodextrin replacement. Although the number of cavities increased with increasing the fructose level, the size of the cavities decreased (p < 0.05). The highest general acceptance score was related to T5 samples which had 50% and 100% replacement of fructose and maltodextrin, and contained 0.03% lactose.