Dados do Trabalho

Título

SENSORY ACCEPTABILITY AND PREFERENCE OF SYMBIOTIC ICE CREAMS SUPPLEMENTED WITH Lactobacillus paracasei Lpc-37 AND SOLUBLE FIBERS

Introdução

Ice creams have shown great potential as vehicles for biological compounds beneficial to health, such as prebiotics and probiotic cultures. This study aimed to evaluate the acceptability of the sensory attributes of symbiotic ice creams supplemented with Lactobacillus paracasei Lpc-37 and soluble fibers, as well as to compare the sensory preferences among different preparations.

Material e Métodos

The ice creams were made using milk (3% fat), sucrose, glucose, pasteurized cream (41% fat), skimmed milk powder, emulsifiers, stabilizers, and strawberry flavoring. All pasteurized base mixes were supplemented with 0.2 g/L of freeze-dried L. paracasei Lpc-37 culture and incubated for 4 hours at 27°C. Three preparations were supplemented with 7.2 g/L of a soluble fiber – inulin (PI), oligofructose (PO), or polydextrose (PP) – and compared to a preparation without any added soluble fiber (P). The attributes of appearance, smell, flavor, color, and texture were evaluated using a seven-point structured hedonic scale, ranging from "liked extremely" (7) to "disliked extremely" (1), with an intermediate point labeled "neither liked nor disliked" (4). In another session, a preference ranking test was conducted and the data were statistically analysed using the Newell & MacFarlane table. The sensory panel consisted of 100 untrained evaluators, divided equally between both sessions, with 48 men and 52 women, mostly aged between 18 and 35 years. Evaluators were given approximately 20 g of each sample in plastic cups coded with three-digit numbers, presented alternately, and filled out sensory analysis forms. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Santa Maria.

Resultados e Discussão

All ice creams received satisfactory acceptability scores for the evaluated attributes, ranging from 5.08 to 5.84 (between "liked" and "really liked"). PI scored highest for appearance (5.84), flavor (5.66), and texture (5.82), while PP scored highest for flavor (5.68) (P < 0.05). The inclusion of soluble fibers did not affect the ice cream’s acceptance in terms of color and smell, nor did it significantly influence preference choice (P < 0.05). These results indicate that ice creams are promising vehicles for probiotic microorganisms and soluble fibers, and their presence rarely compromises the sensory characteristics of the product.

Conclusão

Ice creams are promising vehicles for probiotic microorganisms and soluble fibers, and their presence rarely compromises the sensory characteristics of the product.