Researchers of the Universitat Politècnica de València and the Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA) of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) have created a new yoghurt with a high protein content and a higher satiating capacity.
The work has been published in Food Research International and it opens up alternative route to design new nutritional control strategies.
The CSIC researcher and project co-ordinator, Susana Fiszman, explains that 'in the market, there is a real necessity to formulate food that helps to control the appetite; this is why we suggested formulating a yoghurt with satiating capacity as an interesting strategy and it was successfully developed.'
Isabel Hernando, researcher at the Group of Microstructure and Food Chemistry of the Universitat Politècnica de València, says that protein is the most effective macronutrient in obtaining a satiating effect: 'That is what makes the formulation of dairy products with higher protein content able to help moderate food consumption,' she observes.
In their study, the researchers of the Universitat Politècnica de València and the IATA (CSIC) assessed up to six different types of yoghurt: they added powdered skimmed milk to one of them, they incorporated a buttermilk protein to the second and the third one was the 'control yogurt,' that is, without added protein. To obtain the other three, they added 2% starch to each of the above formulae, aiming to improve the perception of a creamy texture.
To determine their satiating capacity, they ran sensory tests, in which more than a hundred consumers took part. Among all of the products, the formula with powdered skimmed milk and starch was the one that raised the most interest about the satiating capacity.
'The addition of starch in the control sample significantly raised the perception of its satiating capacity, so its use to reinforce this capacity could be a useful tool in this kind of dairy products,' says Isabel Hernando.
The researchers also analysed how the consumer's sensory perception had an influence on the satiating capacity. 'Powdered milk and starch yoghurt was defined as the densest, the most compact and the creamiest, attributes that led to a greater expectation of satiating capacity in the consumers,' explains Isabel Hernando.
In addition, they studied how the addition of proteins and starch affects the microstructural and rheological properties of the products, as well as their thickness and consistency, the oral transit and, as a consequence, the consumer's final acceptance.
The researchers of the IATA (CSIC) and the Universitat Politècnica de València are continuing their work on the design of new strategies of addition of satiating ingredients to daily food. Among others, they are studying new formulae for cheesecake.