Development and consumer acceptance testing of a honey-based beverage fermented by a multi-species starter culture

Abstract

Despite being recognized as a risk factor for noncommunicable diseases (NCD), regular consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) is promoted by the commercial interests of big business corporations and is not properly regulated by governments. To meet the demand for a healthier alternative to SSB, this study aimed to develop a honey-based fermented beverage and to evaluate its consumer acceptance. The top-down selection of bacteria and yeasts, isolated from six commercial symbiotic cultures and characterized in a honey-based experimental solution, was followed by the bottom-up construction of a defined multi-species starter culture. Plant extracts and bottle conditioning were used in a pilot-scale production for the sensory analysis of consumer acceptance with a three-domain questionnaire. Of the thirty-three isolated microorganisms, eleven did not grow on the honey-based broth, whereas eight were excluded for their excessive acidification. Two bacteria and three yeasts were carefully chosen for the multi-species starter culture employed in the pilot-scale production, resulting in a carbonated beverage without residual carbohydrates, no detectable acetic acid, 1.0 ± 0.1 g/L of lactic acid, 2.6 ± 0.3 g/L of glycerol and 5.4 ± 0.3 g/L of ethanol. Sensory beverage analysis by a hundred and twelve potential consumers revealed an eighty-six percent acceptance index. These results suggest that the developed beverage is well accepted, even having no sugar content and no chemical additives, being a promising alternative to hyper-caloric ultra-processed beverages.