Potential of Probiotic Frozen Blackcurrant Products: Consumer Preference, Physicochemical Characterization, and Cell Viability

Kati Väkeväinen (Corresponding Author), Noora Rinkinen, Roosa-Maria Willman, Jenni Lappi, Kaisa Raninen, Anna Karlund, Santtu Mikkonen, Carme Plumed-Ferrer, Marjukka Kolehmainen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Blackcurrant is a healthy, affordable, and traditionally gardened berry that, thus far, has been underused in food applications. From the consumers’ point of view, the acidic taste of blackcurrants is a challenge; therefore, these berries have mainly been utilized for sugary juice production. This research study aimed to develop a frozen vegan blackcurrant product with pleasant sensory properties and potential probiotic function. A candidate probiotic, Lactoplantibacillus plantarum Q823, was used in the manufacturing process. The physicochemical properties, nutritional composition, and consumer preference for the developed product were assessed, as was the viability of L. plantarum Q823 during storage time and in an in vitro gastrointestinal model. Consumers (n = 71) perceived the developed product to be pleasant. L. plantarum Q823 had high viability counts (log colony forming units (cfu) g−1 7.0 ± 0.38) in the final product, although the viability of L. plantarum Q823 during storage time needs to be enhanced to obtain a probiotic product. Thus, within an optimized formulation, blackcurrant berries represent a potential raw material for functional frozen food products.</jats:p>
Original languageEnglish
Article number792
JournalFoods
Volume10
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 7 Apr 2021
MoE publication typeA1 Journal article-refereed

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Potential of Probiotic Frozen Blackcurrant Products: Consumer Preference, Physicochemical Characterization, and Cell Viability'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this