Yogurt Fortification with Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) Flour: Physicochemical and Sensory Effects

Abstract

AbstractYogurt, a popular dairy product made by bacterial fermentation of milk, is a nutritious food that contains probiotics beneficial for digestive health. Protein fortification is an effective way to design foods with increased satiety. Chickpea is rich in protein, fiber, and prebiotics and can be a source for enhancing the nutritional quality of food products while providing functional attributes of macromolecules and promoting probiotic growth. The present study evaluated the effects of the addition of chickpea flour (1%, 2%, 3%, or 5%, w/v, level) on selected quality parameters of yogurt of 2% fat‐containing milk that was inoculated with a yogurt culture, fermented, and stored at 4 °C up to 21 days. The results demonstrated that addition of chickpea flour to the yogurt mix promoted the growth of bacteria during yogurt making, and decreased the incubation time. Fortification of yogurt with 1% and 2% chickpea flour provided a significant improvement in the viscosity of stored yogurt. Chickpea flour stimulated the growth of probiotic bacteria and maintained higher counts over the 21‐day refrigerated storage. Sensory evaluation revealed no significant influence on the acceptance scores of yogurt with addition of 1% or 2% of chickpea flour. The results suggest that addition of chickpea flour up to 2% level can be an option to enhance the protein level of yogurt without adverse effects on product qualities and sensorial properties.