A Novel Dairy Fermented Frozen Dessert with Honey and Pomegranate Juice: Physicochemical, Rheological and Sensory Properties

The effect of fat content and added yoghurt, honey and pomegranate juice concentration on the overrun, and the physicochemical, rheological and sensory properties of frozen yoghurt samples was investigated, aiming in the production of a novel low-fat and functional dairy fermented frozen dessert. For this purpose, the methodology of mixture experiment was applied to twenty samples, while a control sample (without using honey and pomegranate juice) was also produced. According to the results, the increase in yoghurt concentration resulted in increasing pH, overrun, brightness, elastic modulus (G´) determined at -2 °C and sensory hardness of the samples, while it reduced color parameters a* and b*, creaminess, sweetness and fattiness. Increasing honey concentration reduced lactic acid concentration, G´ at -2 °C, hardness, sensory acidity, and to a lesser extent pH, while increased color parameter b*, overrun, sensory color intensity, creaminess, sweetness, and fattiness of the samples. The increase in pomegranate juice concentration resulted in decreasing pH, brightness and b*, as well as increasing a*, color intensity, creaminess and sensory acidity. Finally, fat, by interacting with one or two of the three constituents (yoghurt, honey and pomegranate juice), decreased pH, creaminess and fattiness, while increased lactic acid concentration, b*, color intensity and to a lesser degree the overrun level of the samples. Overall acceptability of the samples indicated that it is possible to use honey and pomegranate juice in the production of low-fat frozen yoghurt with favorable sensory properties.