Physicochemical Properties and Sensory Evaluation of Yogurt Formulated with Pineapple and Roselle Fibres

Functional food promotes specific health benefits and lowers the risk of acquiring health problems. Probiotics, prebiotics, and omega-3 fatty acids were added to functional food to enhance the nutritional value of the food itself. Yogurt is one of the examples of widely produced probiotic products. Concerns arise due to reduced fibre in refined food, leading to an increased risk of colon cancer and gastrointestinal diseases. Fruit-based yogurts with artificial additives were developed to cater to consumer preferences but were found to give negative health effects. To address this, yogurt with natural fibre sources like roselle and pineapple fibres was formulated, providing health-promoting components, flavor, and color without resorting to artificial additives. Current work focused on physicochemical properties and sensory evaluation of yogurt formulated with roselle and pineapple fibres. The concentration of roselle and pineapple fibres added were varied and their effect on the physicochemical properties of yogurt namely pH, viscosity, antioxidant activity, and syneresis were investigated. The evaluation was conducted at four different storage periods, which were on the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th days of yogurt storage. A sensory evaluation was also tested. The pH of formulated yogurt decreased as the concentration of roselle, and pineapple fibre increased. The highest viscosity was recorded for yogurt formulated with 8% pineapple fibre. Yogurt enriched with 8% roselle fibre demonstrated a superior antioxidant content. For sensory evaluation, yogurt with 4% pineapple fibre received the highest score regarding overall acceptability. The incorporation of roselle and pineapple fibre into yogurts formulation can be an alternative method in adding dietary fibres to the dairy products.