Chemical properties and sensory evaluation of sweetened condensed rice (Oryza sativa L.) milk

Abstract

Food and beverage products that provide beneficial effects on human health and the prevention of diseases have become more popular among consumers who are seeking a healthy lifestyle. Sweetened condensed rice (Oryza sativa L.) milk (SCRM) is a plantbased food product and it is suitable for some people who practise vegetarianism and suffer from a food allergy, such as lactose intolerance. The study herein developed SCRM by applying three different sweeteners that comprise refined sugar (SCRMSU), glucose syrup (SCRMGL), and stevia syrup (SCRMST). The aim of the study was to examine the chemical properties (proximate composition and concentrations of sugars), physical properties (colour measurement, pH and moisture content), microbial analysis during the storage period and sensory evaluation. Results showed that SCRMGL exhibited the highest total carbohydrate value (67.93%), while the lowest value was shown in SCRMST (44.07%). All samples have a relatively low amount of protein, fat, and ash compared to carbohydrates. The total sugar concentration of SCRMGL and SCRMSU was 48.36 g/100 g and 45.23 g/100 g, respectively; but not detected in SCRMST. Sucrose constituted the highest concentration of total sugar in all samples, with SCRMSU (44.93 g/100 g) having the highest. Based on the aerobic plate count, SCRMST showed the highest microbial reduction after being stored for 7 (3.68 log CFU/g) and 15 (6.99 log CFU/g) days, followed by SCRMSU (7 days, 2.53 log CFU/g; 15 days, 5.81 log CFU/g). In contrast, there was no appreciable amount of mould detected in all samples after seven days of storage. The study also included the sensory evaluation involving thirty panellists by using a 9-point hedonic scale and a majority of panellists accepted SCRMST given that it had the highest score on several sensory characteristics, e.g., appearance (8.00±1.00), colour (8.10±0.91), taste (8.10±0.91), flavour (7.65±0.88), and texture (7.95±0.85), with the overall acceptability of 8.25±0.64. In summary, SCRMST is expected to respond well in the health market and be one of the alternative products for some people who face food allergy problems.