Application of a Pivot Profile Variant Using CATA Questions in the Development of a Whey-Based Fermented Beverage

Marcelo Miraballes,Natalia Hodos,Adriana Gámbaro

doi:10.3390/beverages4010011

Abstract

During the development of a food product, the application of rapid descriptive sensory methodologies is very useful to determine the influence of different variables on the sensory characteristics of the product under development. The Pivot profile (PP) and a variant of the technique that includes check-all-that-apply questions (PP + CATA) were used for the development of a milk drink fermented from demineralised sweet whey. Starting from a base formula of partially demineralised sweet whey and gelatin, nine samples were elaborated, to which various concentrations of commercial sucrose, modified cassava starch, and whole milk powder were added. Differences in sucrose content affected the sample texture and flavour and the modified starch was able to decrease the fluidity and increase the texture of creaminess and firmness, of the samples. The two applied sensory methodologies achieved good discrimination between the samples and very similar results, although the data analysis was clearly simplified in relation to the difficulty and time consumed in the PP + CATA variant.

Highlights

One of the main problems in environmental management of the small and medium dairy industry is the destination of by-products generated in the industrial activities, such as milk whey
The use of lactic acid bacteria in the fermentation of whey is associated with intense bacterial metabolic activity with respect to the carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and allergenic peptides present in it
The sweet whey in its pure form presents a low sensory acceptability, which is due to the unpleasant flavour caused by the high content of mineral salts

Summary

Introduction

One of the main problems in environmental management of the small and medium dairy industry is the destination of by-products generated in the industrial activities, such as milk whey. The high content in lactose makes milk whey a raw material (from the industrial viewpoint) with significant potential for the development of fermented products [2]. Their action increases the content of lactic acid and other metabolites, such as aromatic compounds that contribute to the flavour, texture, and sweetness of the final product [3]. The fermentation process considerably improves the sensory profile and acceptability of the product, it is not sufficient to achieve acceptability values comparable to those obtained with milk drinks made with milk [4] In this sense, it is interesting to use the previously demineralised sweet whey as an input for fermentation, to obtain a product with greater acceptability. Some authors have produced fermented beverages from sweet whey with the addition of milk at different levels, significantly

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