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 language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 792 |
| Journal | Foods |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 7 Apr 2021 |
| MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Funding
We thank Pakkasmarja Ltd. and Probitat Ltd. for providing the ingredients and know-how for preparing the products. We want to acknowledge the Regional Food Valley Project (A73605), funded by the European Regional Development Fund, for supporting the networking between food companies and organizations.
