Skim yoghurt with microbial transglutaminase: evaluation of consumer acceptance

The decrease in the fat content of yoghurt causes sensory modifications. Microbial transglutaminase (TG) has been proposed as an alternative for reducing the problems caused by the fat reduction. This work deals with the evaluation of the sensory profile, acceptance and preferences of skim yoghurt produced with TG at pilot scale. A group of 124 consumers of yoghurts were randomly selected. A lower firmness has been observed in yoghurt without TG (NoTG). TG Yoghurt has shown a lower whey odor and less acid taste than NoTG yoghurt. Free whey was not observed in the TG yoghurt. Despite of those differences, consumers only observed minor textural differences. In terms of overall acceptance and preference, no statistically significant differences were observed. The use of TG avoids the addition of milk protein or other texture additives into the yoghurt, decreasing production cost with the same overall acceptance and preference by consumers.