Incorporation of olive pomace ingredients into yoghurts as a source of fibre and hydroxytyrosol: Antioxidant activity and stability throughout gastrointestinal digestion

Lipid and polyphenol removal on the structural, physico-chemical and technological properties of passion fruit epicarp flour

The effects of defatting and dephenolization treatments on the structural, physico-chemical and technological properties of passion fruit epicarp flour (PFEF) were evaluated in this research. The FT-IR, SEM and XRD results illustrated that defatted and defree phenolics did not change the basic chemical structure of PFEF, while debound phenolics treatment hydrolyzed the ester bonds between dietary fiber and polyphenols and hydrolyzed the amorphous region of dietary fiber, resulting in self-assembly into a larger aggregate with a compact texture. All three kinds of treatment could improve the flowability of passion fruit epicarp flour to some extent. In addition, dephenolization treatment brought about an obvious change in the technological properties of PFEF, and removal of free polyphenols or bound polyphenols contributed to two completely different effects on partial indicators. These properties may be important for their value-added utilization.

Encapsulation of debittered pomelo juice using novel Moringa oleifera exudate for enrichment of yoghurt: A techno-functional approach

Debittering of pomelo juice was conducted using 3.7 g of activated resin, resulting in a 36.8% reduction in bitterness without affecting the bioactive properties of juice. The debittered juice was then encapsulated with Moringa oleifera exudate at various ratios (1-5%), yielding a powder with a slightly rough surface. Total phenol content (TPC) increased by 46-56% compared to the debittered juice. Functional yoghurt containing encapsulates at concentrations of 1% and 2% demonstrated that the 2% concentration led to longer storage duration, resulting in increased acidity and syneresis compared to the control. TPC of the yoghurt (161.89-198.22 μg Gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g) remained significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that of the control (47.15 μg GAE/g) and acacia gum-based yoghurt (141.89-171.37 μg GAE/g), decreasing with storage duration. Addition of encapsulates significantly altered the yoghurt's texture, resulting in lower firmness (0.57 to 0.64 N) compared to the control, while adhesiveness values remained comparable (6.33 to 6.25 g.s). The highest values of G' and G" were observed in samples containing 2% encapsulates with moringa compared to those with acacia gum. This study suggests potential avenues for further exploration in functional foods with enhanced health benefits.

Influence of Bilberry Pomace Powder Addition on the Physicochemical, Functional, Rheological, and Sensory Properties of Stirred Yogurt

Fruit processing by-products could represent a sustainable ingredient for developing innovative dairy products. The present study was conducted to develop a novel functional yogurt by adding bilberry pomace powder (BPP) at 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5% (w/w) levels in stirred-type yogurt production to confer color and to increase the dietary fiber and polyphenol content. Physicochemical properties of the yogurt samples, including color parameters, titratable acidity, pH, water holding capacity (WHC), and syneresis, as well as textural and rheological properties, were evaluated in yogurts on the 1, 14, and 28 days of refrigerated storage (4 °C). In addition, total phenolic content, total anthocyanin content, and radical scavenging activity were determined in yogurts, and sensory analysis was conducted. The results showed that BPP is a valuable source of polyphenols, dietary fiber, and oils rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs, n-6/n-3 ratio = 0.91). The incorporation of BPP imparted an attractive purple color to the yogurts, increased WHC, and reduced syneresis. Moreover, the addition of BPP improved the rheological properties, demonstrating that a more dense and stable yogurt gel network structure was obtained than the control. The yogurt enriched with 1.0% BPP received the highest scores for color, consistency, taste, and overall acceptability. Hence, bilberry pomace powder might be used as an ingredient to improve the nutritional and functional value of yogurts.

Production of prebiotic enriched maple syrup through enzymatic conversion of sucrose into fructo-oligosaccharides

Maple syrup, a popular natural sweetener has a high content of sucrose, whose consumption is linked to different health issues such as obesity and diabetes. Hence, within this paper, the conversion of sucrose to prebiotics (fructo-oligosaccharides, FOS) was proposed as a promising approach to obtaining a healthier, value-added product. Enzymatic conversion was optimized with respect to key experimental factors, and thereafter derived immobilized preparation of fructosyltransferase (FTase) from Pectinex® Ultra SP-L (FTase-epoxy Purolite, 255 IU/g support) was successfully utilized to produce novel functional product in ten consecutive reaction cycles. The product, obtained under optimal conditions (60 °C, 7.65 IU/mL, 12 h), resulted in 56.0% FOS, 16.7% sucrose, and 27.3% monosaccharides of total carbohydrates, leading to a 1.6-fold reduction in caloric content. The obtained products` prebiotic potential toward the probiotic strain Lactobacillus plantarum 299v was demonstrated. The changes in physico-chemical and sensorial characteristics were esteemed as negligible.

Microencapsulation of vitamins: A review and meta-analysis of coating materials, release and food fortification

Vitamins are responsible for providing biological properties to the human body; however, their instability under certain environmental conditions limits their utilization in the food industry. The objective was to conduct a systematic review on the use of biopolymers and lipid bases in microencapsulation processes, assessing their impact on the stability, controlled release, and viability of fortified foods with microencapsulated vitamins. The literature search was conducted between the years 2013-2023, gathering information from databases such as Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science and publishers including Taylor & Francis, Elsevier, Springer and MDPI; a total of 49 articles were compiled The results were classified according to the microencapsulation method, considering the following information: core, coating material, solvent, formulation, process conditions, particle size, efficiency, yield, bioavailability, bioaccessibility, in vitro release, correlation coefficient and references. It has been evidenced that gums are the most frequently employed coatings in the protection of vitamins (14.04%), followed by alginate (10.53%), modified chitosan (9.65%), whey protein (8.77%), lipid bases (8.77%), chitosan (7.89%), modified starch (7.89%), starch (7.02%), gelatin (6.14%), maltodextrin (5.26%), zein (3.51%), pectin (2.63%) and other materials (7.89%). The factors influencing the release of vitamins include pH, modification of the coating material and crosslinking agents; additionally, it was determined that the most fitting mathematical model for release values is Weibull, followed by Zero Order, Higuchi and Korsmeyer-Peppas; finally, foods commonly fortified with microencapsulated vitamins were described, with yogurt, bakery products and gummy candies being notable examples.

Looking into the lipid profile of avocado and byproducts: Using lipidomics to explore value-added compounds

Consumer priorities in healthy diets and lifestyle boosted the demand for nutritious and functional foods as well as plant-based ingredients. Avocado has become a food trend due to its nutritional and functional values, which in turn is increasing its consumption and production worldwide. Avocado edible portion has a high content of lipids, with the pulp and its oil being rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and essential omega - 3 and omega - 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). These fatty acids are mainly esterified in triacylglycerides, the major lipids in pulp, but also in minor components such as polar lipids (phospholipids and glycolipids). Polar lipids of avocado have been overlooked despite being recently highlighted with functional properties as well. The growth in the industry of avocado products is generating an increased amount of their byproducts, such as seed and peels (nonedible portions), still undervalued. The few studies on avocado byproducts pointed out that they also contain interesting lipids, with seeds particularly rich in polar lipids bearing PUFA, and thus can be reused as a source of add-value phytochemical. Mass spectrometry-based lipidomics approaches appear as an essential tool to unveil the complex lipid signature of avocado and its byproducts, contributing to the recognition of value-added lipids and opening new avenues for their use in novel biotechnological applications. The present review provides an up-to-date overview of the lipid signature from avocado pulp, peel, seed, and its oils.

Bioaccessibility and antioxidant capacity of kefir-based smoothies fortified with kale and spinach after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion

The kefir-based smoothies with kale and spinach were designed as a ready-to-drink and innovative functional snack. Microbiological, physicochemical, as well as pre- and postgastrointestinal total antioxidant capacity (TAC; CUPRAC, DPPH, and FRAP) analyses were conducted. It was determined that the kefir-based smoothies with vegetables had higher ash, carbohydrate, and dietary fiber values. Fructose and glucose contents of smoothy with kale were high, while smoothy with spinach included high sucrose and maltose. The microbiology results revealed that kefir-based vegetable smoothies had minimum Lactobacillaceae viability (>log 7 cfu g-1) for the required functional effect after 14-day storage. Moreover, the addition of kale significantly increased (p < .01) the level of initial TAC (CUPRAC, DPPH, and FRAP) and total phenolic content (TPC) values. After in vitro gastric digestion analysis, smoothie with spinach demonstrated higher TAC and TPC values and the control sample had higher TAC and TPC values compared with a predigestion step. It was found that in vitro intestinal DPPH values were higher for the sample with spinach samples, while the sample with kale had the highest FRAP values. It was also found that the bioaccessibility indexes of plain kefir were determined to be the highest in both in vitro gastric and intestinal procedures. The present study provided novel insights into the in vitro digestion properties of kefir fortified with vegetables. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to identify the functional properties of the milk and plant matrices mixture using in vitro and in vivo trials.

Exploitation of Black Olive (Olea europaea L. cv. Piantone di Mogliano) Pomace for the Production of High-Value Bread

In this study, the morpho-textural features, total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant capacity (AOC) of bread fortified with olive (Olea europaea L.) pomace were evaluated. Fresh olive pomace was subjected to microbiological and chemical (TPC, AOC, and fiber) analyses; then, the same olive pomace was analyzed during 1 to 6 months of storage at 4 °C or -20 °C. All olive pomace samples were used in 10%, 15%, or 20% amounts to produce type 0 soft wheat (Triticum aestivum) and whole wheat bread samples. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the bread samples were also analyzed to assess the effect of the addition of the olive pomace on the flavor profile of the baked products. The TPC and AOC evaluation of olive pomace showed no differences among the analyzed samples (fresh, refrigerated, or frozen). Regarding the bread containing olive pomace, the specific volume was not affected by the amount or the storage methods of the added pomace. Bread samples produced with soft wheat flour showed the lowest hardness values relative to those produced with whole wheat flour, irrespective of the amount or storage method of the olive pomace. Regarding color, the crust and crumb of the bread samples containing 20% olive pomace were significantly darker. The bread samples containing 20% olive pomace had the highest TPC. The bread samples with fresh olive pomace were characterized by terpenoids, ketones, and aldehydes, whereas the bread samples containing refrigerated olive pomace were characterized by alcohols (mainly ethanol), acids, esters, and acetate. Finally, the bread samples with frozen olive pomace showed a volatile profile similar to that of bread produced with fresh olive pomace. Olive pomace was shown to be a suitable ingredient for producing bread with high nutritional value.

Hydroxytyrosol Alleviates Methotrexate-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis in Rats: Involvement of TGF-β1, Tissue Factor, and VEGF

Methotrexate (MTX) is an indispensable drug used for the treatment of many autoimmune and cancerous diseases. However, its clinical use is associated with serious side effects, such as lung fibrosis. The main objective of this study is to test the hypothesis that hydroxytyrosol (HT) can mitigate MTX-induced lung fibrosis in rats while synergizing MTX anticancer effects. Pulmonary fibrosis was induced in the rats using MTX (14 mg/kg/week, per os (p.o.)). The rats were treated with or without HT (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg/d p.o.) or dexamethasone (DEX; 0.5 mg/kg/d, intraperitoneally (i.p.)) for two weeks concomitantly with MTX. Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1), interleukin-4 (IL-4), thromboxane A2 (TXA2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), 8-hydroxy-2-deoxy-guanosine (8-OHdG), tissue factor (TF) and fibrin were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence, and RT-PCR. Pulmonary fibrosis was manifested by an excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and a marked increase in TGF-β1 and IL-4 in lung tissues. Furthermore, cotreatment with HT or dexamethasone (DEX) significantly attenuated MTX-induced ECM deposition, TGF-β1, and IL-4 expression. Similarly, HT or DEX notably reduced hydroxyproline contents, TXA2, fibrin, and TF expression in lung tissues. Moreover, using HT or DEX downregulated the gene expression of TF. A significant decrease in lung contents of VEGF, IL-8, and 8-OHdG was also observed in HT + MTX- or DEX + MTX -treated animals in a dose-dependent manner. Collectively, the results of our study suggest that HT might represent a potential protective agent against MTX-induced pulmonary fibrosis.

Exploring the Use of Hydroxytyrosol and Some of Its Esters in Food-Grade Nanoemulsions: Establishing Connection between Structure and Efficiency

The efficiency of HT and that of some of its hydrophobic derivatives and their distribution and effective concentrations were investigated in fish oil-in-water nanoemulsions. For this purpose, we carried out two sets of independent, but complementary, kinetic experiments in the same intact fish nanoemulsions. In one of them, we monitored the progress of lipid oxidation in intact nanoemulsions by monitoring the formation of conjugated dienes with time. In the second set of experiments, we determined the distributions and effective concentrations of HT and its derivatives in the same intact nanoemulsions as those employed in the oxidation experiments. Results show that the antioxidant efficiency is consistent with the "cut-off" effect-the efficiency of HT derivatives increases upon increasing their hydrophobicity up to the octyl derivative after which a further increase in the hydrophobicity decreases their efficiency. Results indicate that the effective interfacial concentration is the main factor controlling the efficiency of the antioxidants and that such efficiency strongly depends on the surfactant concentration and on the oil-to-water (o/w) ratio employed to prepare the nanoemulsions.

Functional yogurt, enriched and probiotic: A focus on human health

The food industry has always sought to produce products enriched with vitamins, probiotics, polyphenols, and other bioactive compounds to improve physiological function, enhance nutritional value, and provide health. These compounds are essential for human health, and their deficiency can lead to adverse effects. Therefore, food enrichment is an important strategy to improve the nutritional value and, in some cases, improve the quality of food. Recently, functional foods have been very popular around the world. Among food products, dairy products constitute a major part of people's diet, and due to the high consumption of dairy products, including yogurt, the enrichment of this product effectively reduces or prevents diseases associated with nutritional deficiencies. Most consumers generally accept yogurt due to its high nutritional value and low price. So, it can be considered a good candidate for enrichment with micronutrients and probiotics. In recent years, using functional foods to prevent various diseases has become a popular topic for research. In this study, the effect of fortified yogurt in preventing diseases and improving deficiencies has been investigated, and it has been proven that super healthy yogurt has a positive effect on human health.

Microbiota Assessment of Fresh-Cut Apples Packaged in Two Different Films

The aim of this work was to assess the natural microbiota of packed fresh-cut apples during refrigerated storage. Two different films were tested for the package, a biodegradable (PLA) film and a conventional and commercial one (OPP). Two antioxidant additives were applied, a natural olive pomace extract and the commercial ascorbic acid used by the industries. The results revealed lower bacteria counts in samples with olive pomace extract and PLA films than in those with ascorbic acid and OPP films after 5 and 12 days of storage. These findings suggest that the use of such natural extracts as additives in fruits could delay the growth of mesophilic bacteria. The characterization and identification of the bacterial isolates from fresh-cut apple samples showed that the most prevalent species were Citrobacter freundii, Staphylococcus warneri, Pseudomonas oryzihabitans, Alcalinogenes faecalis, Corynebacterium jeikeium, Micrococcus spp., Pantoea aglomerans and Bacillus spp. Furthermore, an increase in the microbial diversity during the storage time at refrigerated temperatures was observed, except for the sample treated with olive pomace extract and packaged in OPP film. The highest microbial diversity was found for samples with ascorbic acid as an additive. This could indicate a negative effect of ascorbic acid on the microbial inhibition of apple slices. The natural olive pomace extract demonstrated potential as an antimicrobial additive for fresh-cut apples.

Valorizing the usage of olive leaves, bioactive compounds, biological activities, and food applications: A comprehensive review

Olive oil production is a significant source of economic profit for Mediterranean nations, accounting for around 98 percent of global output. Olive oil usage has increased dramatically in recent years, owing to its organoleptic characteristics and rising knowledge of its health advantages. The culture of olive trees and the manufacture of industrial and table olive oil produces enormous volumes of solid waste and dark liquid effluents, involving olive leaves, pomace, and olive oil mill wastewaters. These by-products cause an economic issue for manufacturers and pose major environmental concerns. As a result, partial reuse, like other agronomical production wastes, is a goal to be achieved. Because these by-products are high in bioactive chemicals, which, if isolated, might denote components with significant added value for the food, cosmetic, and nutraceutical sectors, indeed, they include significant amounts of beneficial organic acids, carbohydrates, proteins, fibers, and phenolic materials, which are distributed differently between the various wastes depending on the olive oil production method and table olive agronomical techniques. However, the extraction and recovery of bioactive materials from chosen by-products is a significant problem of their reasonable value, and rigorous detection and quantification are required. The primary aims of this review in this context are to outline the vital bioactive chemicals in olive by-products, evaluate the main developments in extraction, purification, and identification, and study their uses in food packaging systems and safety problems.

Enhancing yogurt products’ ingredients: preservation strategies, processing conditions, analytical detection methods, and therapeutic delivery—an overview

As a dairy product, yogurt delivers nourishing milk components through the beneficial microbial fermentation process, improved by bioavailability and bioaccessibility–an exclusive combined food asset. In recent decades, there has been considerable attention to yogurt product development particularly in areas like influence by antioxidant-rich fruits, different factors affecting its probiotic viability, and the functionality of inulin and probiotics. Essentially, many published reviews frequently focus on the functionalities associated with yogurt products, however, those articulating yogurt ingredients specific to associated preservation strategies, processing conditions, and analytical detection techniques are very few, to the best of our knowledge. The knowledge and understanding of preservation strategies that enhance the ingredients in yogurt products, and their function as modern drug delivery systems are essential, given the opportunities it can provide for future research. Therefore, this overview discussed how yogurt product ingredients have been enhanced, from preservation strategies, processing conditions, analytical detection methods, and therapeutic delivery standpoints. The survey methodology involved major stages, from the brainstorming of research questions, search strategy, effective utilization of databases, inclusion and exclusion criteria, etc. The innovative successes of yogurts would be enhanced via the physicochemical, nutritional and therapeutic aspects of the ingredients/products. Besides processing conditions to influence the yogurt constituents, overall acceptability, quality, and shelf-life, the analytical assays would help detect the hidden product constituents, toxins, and other storage-related changes. The therapeutic role of yogurt-a modern drug delivery system, would be demonstrated via the supplementation (of yogurt) either alone or with bioactive ingredients. The future of yogurt requires the collective action of stakeholders to formulate unique variants with different natural blends, where synthetic ingredients become completely replaced by the plant’s derivatives, which enhance the acidification rate and extend shelf life.

Hydroxytyrosol in Foods: Analysis, Food Sources, EU Dietary Intake, and Potential Uses

Hydroxytyrosol (HT) is a phenolic compound with proven biological properties present in a limited number of foods such as table olives, virgin olive oil (VOO) and wines. The present work aims to evaluate the dietary intake of HT in the European (EU) population by compiling scattered literature data on its concentration in foods. The consumption of the involved foods was estimated based on the EFSA Comprehensive European Food Consumption Database. The updated average contents of HT are as follows: 629.1, 5.2 and 2.1 µg/g for olives, olive oil and wine, respectively. The HT estimated intake in the European Union (EU) adult population falls within 0.13–6.82 mg/day/person, with table olives and wine being the main contributors. The estimated mean dietary intake of HT in EU countries is 1.97 ± 2.62 mg/day. Greece showed the highest HT intake (6.82 mg/day), while Austria presented the lowest (0.13 mg/day). Moreover, HT is an authorized novel food ingredient in the EU that can be added to different foods. Since the estimated HT intake is substantially low, the use of HT as a food ingredient seems feasible. This opens new possibilities for revalorizing waste products from olive oil and olive production which are rich HT sources.

Camu-camu [Myrciaria dubia (HBK) McVaugh]: A review of properties and proposals of products for integral valorization of raw material

This review aims to evaluate the production and processing chain of camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia), giving suggestions to maximize the valorization of raw materials, demonstrating new product possibilities from processing to distribution and highlighting the suggested contributions. It is clear that despite the camu-camu pulp has important properties, a large part of its raw material, considered waste (around 50%) and formed by important bioactive compounds, can give rise to new products, such as bioactive extracts to be used by pharmaceutical, chemical and food industries, ingredients for bakery products, dairy and several others sectors, which constitutes opportunities, in addition to contributing to the reduction of agro-industrial waste and the preservation of the environment.

Tamarillo Polyphenols Encapsulated-Cubosome: Formation, Characterization, Stability during Digestion and Application in Yoghurt

Tamarillo extract is a good source of phenolic and anthocyanin compounds which are well-known for beneficial antioxidant activity, but their bioactivity maybe lost during digestion. In this study, promising prospects of tamarillo polyphenols encapsulated in cubosome nanoparticles prepared via a top-down method were explored. The prepared nanocarriers were examined for their morphology, entrapment efficiency, particle size and stability during in vitro digestion as well as potential fortification of yoghurt. Tamarillo polyphenol-loaded cubosomes showed cubic shape with a mean particle size of 322.4 ± 7.27 nm and the entrapment efficiency for most polyphenols was over 50%. The encapsulated polyphenols showed high stability during the gastric phase of in vitro digestion and were almost completely, but slowly released in the intestinal phase. Addition of encapsulated tamarillo polyphenols to yoghurt (5, 10 and 15 wt% through pre- and post-fermentation) improved the physicochemical and potential nutritional properties (polyphenols concentration, TPC) as well as antioxidant activity. The encapsulation of tamarillo polyphenols protected against pH changes and enzymatic digestion and facilitated a targeted delivery and slow release of the encapsulated compounds to the intestine. Overall, the cubosomal delivery system demonstrated the potential for encapsulation of polyphenols from tamarillo for value-added food product development with yoghurt as the vehicle.

Fiber-Rich Cranberry Pomace as Food Ingredient with Functional Activity for Yogurt Production

In this study, different amounts (from 2% to 4.5%) of dietary fiber-rich cranberry pomace (CP) were added to yogurt before or after fermentation to increase dietary fiber content without changing the textural properties of the product. The addition of CP reduced whey loss, improved the firmness and viscosity, increased the total phenol compound content and the antioxidant capacity values (DPPH•, ABTS, and ORAC) of the yogurt in a dose-dependent manner, and had no significant effect on the viability of the yogurt culture bacteria. For all CP-supplemented yogurt samples, the bioaccessibility index of the polyphenols after in vitro intestinal phase digestion was approximately 90%. However, yogurt with CP added before fermentation exhibited a significantly (p < 0.05) lower degree of protein hydrolysis post-gastric and post-intestinal than the yogurt with CP added after fermentation. Yogurt supplemented with 4.5% CP could be considered a good antioxidant dairy product and a good source of dietary fiber.

Olive Pomace and Pâté Olive Cake as Suitable Ingredients for Food and Feed

Olive oil extraction generates several by-products that represent an environmental issue, mainly for Mediterranean countries where olive oil is mostly produced. These by-products represent an ecological issue for their phenolic components, such as oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, and tyrosol. However, olive oil by-products can be treated and properly exploited in different fields for their health-promoting properties, and they represent great potential for the food and beverage, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. Furthermore, recovery and treatment processes can contribute to efficient waste management, which can enhance the sustainability of the olive oil industry, and in turn, lead to relevant economic benefits. The solid waste, i.e., olive pomace, could be considered to be a suitable matrix or primary resource of molecules with high added value due to their high phenolic content. Olive pomace, at different moisture contents, is the main by-product obtained from two- or three-phase extraction systems. A commonly used centrifugal extraction system, i.e., a multiphase decanter (DMF), does not require the addition of water and can generate a new by-product called pâté or olive pomace cake, consisting of moist pulp that is rich in phenols, in particular, secoiridoids, without any trace of kernel. Although several reviews have been published on olive wastes, only a few reviews have specifically focused on the solid by-products. Therefore, the aim of the present review is to provide a comprehensive overview on the current valorization of the main solid olive oil by-products, in particular, olive pomace or pâté olive cake, highlighting their use in different fields, including human nutrition.

Chemical composition, quality attributes and antioxidant activity of stirred-type yogurt enriched with Melastoma dodecandrum Lour fruit powder

Incorporation of Melastoma dodecandrum Lour fruit powder as a promising functional ingredient for stirred-type yogurt (STY) improved physicochemical properties, polyphenol contents, antioxidant activity, microstructure, and texture of STY.

Effect of Tamarillo Fortification and Fermentation Process on Physicochemical Properties and Nutrient and Volatiles Content of Yoghurt

Bright-red Laird’s Large tamarillo is a unique and under-utilised fruit that is a dietary source of carotenoids, vitamins C and E, and dietary fibre. The effects of the addition of freeze-dried tamarillo powder (5–15%) to milk and yoghurt starter either before (PRE) or after (POS) fermentation on physicochemical properties were examined. Using LC-MS and GG-MS, nutrient and volatile contents of tamarillo yoghurt were also examined. The addition of tamarillo prior to fermentation was associated with a more yellow colour and higher concentrations of tocopherol compared to when tamarillo was added after fermentation. Higher elastic modulus, PUFAs, pro-vitamin A content, and vitamin C retention were observed for POS than PRE. All tamarillo yoghurts showed improvement in syneresis, lower lactose content, and higher concentrations of antioxidant vitamins than the commercial premium-assorted fruits yoghurt from New Zealand Food Composition Data. Yoghurt fortified with tamarillo powder offers the potential for the development of a high-value nutritional product that could be a good source of vitamin C and a source of vitamin E and β-carotene, and maintain the volatiles that give tamarillo its distinctive flavour.