The Development of a Ready-to-Drink Yogurt from Bambara Groundnut

Abstract

Bambara groundnut is leguminosae plant mainly found in the southern part of Thailand. It has protein content similar to soybean but no food allergy record has been found. In addition, Bambara groundnut is prebiotic which is suitable for plant based yoghurt processing as a food source of probiotics for consumers who are suffering allergy from lactose and soy bean. However, there is a problem with the processing of Bambara groundnut as raw materials because it has natural beany odor and can make consumers unsatisfied with the product. The objectives of this research were to create yoghurt products from Bambara groundnut to achieve high satisfaction from consumers by study the appropriate time for reducing the beany odor of nut by thermal processing, study yoghurt properties when varying time of the odor reducing process and study the flavors that consumers most like for ready to drink Bambara groundnut yoghurt. The results showed heating the raw nut at 60 °C for 30 minutes was able to reduce the bean odor. Moreover, that condition also supported the growth of Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus rhamnosus when fermenting the yoghurt and the result was better than applying the heat for 15 and 45 minutes to Bambara groundnut or without any of heat applied. After that, sweetness was adjusted with jaggery palm sugar to 12 °Brix and flavored with tamarind, lychee and strawberry. The number of 30 consumers would taste the preference of flavored and unflavored products with 5- Points Hedonic Scale. The taste scores were analyzed by Duncan’s Multiple Range Test at 95% confidence. Strawberry and lychee were the two of flavors that the consumers mostly preferred.