With its high fibre content, okara has potentials to be used in bakery products, e.g. par-baked frozen bakery. This study aimed to develop frozen par-baked chapatti (Indian flat bread) through substitution of atta flour with okara flour. Six substitution treatments were applied. Samples were analysed for their physical characteristics, sensory acceptance and nutrient content. Up to 15 % substitution gave no significant effects on samples’ texture and colour. Furthermore, it almost tripled the sample’s fibre content without any detrimental effects on its sensory acceptance. Frozen storage up to eight weeks did not significantly affect samples’ characteristics, thus making this product fea- sible.
Kefir is a fermented milk obtained by fermenting milk with kefir grains. The chemical composition ofdairy and non-dairy sources may affect the growth and characterisation of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). In this study, different sources of milk (cow milk) and non-dairy milk (soymilk and coconut milk) were used as the fermentation media for kefir products. The objectives of the study were to isolate and characterise LAB from kefir drink produced from dairy and non-dairy milk. LAB was isolated using different cultural methods, such as MRS Agar, MRS with 0.8% CaCO3, and M17 Agar. The characteristics of the LAB isolates were determined using morphological, biochemical tests and the API 50 CHL kit. The physicochemical composition of the samples was determined using titratable acidity and pH level. Sensory evaluation of the kefir drink samples was also carried out. Results confirmed that the isolates were identified as Lactobacillus buchneri, Lactobacillus brevis 1, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactobacillus acidophilus 3and Lactobacillus plantarum 1. The L. buchneri, L. brevis, Leu. mesenteroides and L. acidophilus are heterofermentative bacteria, whereas L. plantarum is a homofermentative bacterium. Four LAB isolates have the potential to be used as probiotic strains due to their high resistant to low pH and bile salt. The sensory scores of these products range between 5.00 and 8.00 in the 9-point hedonic scale. Most of the sensory panelists preferred cow milk kefir (p < 0.05) compared with coconut milk kefir and soy milk kefir during the sensory evaluation of all attributes. Meanwhile, the preference between coconut milk kefir and soy milk kefir was similar (p>0.05) in all attributes. Therefore, this study will be useful for probiotic manufacturers in the production of alternative probiotic drinks using dairy and non-dairy milk.
Sucrose, a simple sugar contributing to quick increase of blood sugar, is not favoured by diabetic patients. Stevia, a sugar substitute, can be used to produce products with lower sugar and it may reduce the amount of available car- bohydrate for digestion. ‘Serikaya’, a popular sweet and delicious spread from coconut, traditionally contains high sugar. This study aimed to develop ‘serikaya’ with lower sugar through substitution of sucrose with stevia as a natural non-caloric sweetener. Five combinations of sugar and stevia were studied and analysed for physical characteristics, sensory acceptability and calculated for nutrient composition.