Acceptance of low-sugar yoghurt among Latvian teenagers

Over a thousand year history, yoghurt has become one of a widely consumedproduct in the world. Its reputation as a healthy food has been undermined recently by concernsover the high sugar content. The majority of consumers expects and prefers yoghurts to be sweet.However, governments across Europe are calling for significant cuts in the amount of added sugarused in yoghurt production. The aim of the study was to evaluate the acceptance of low-sugaryoghurt produced by different commercial β-galactosidases by teenagers. Standardised milk withfat content 2.0% (SC Tukuma piens) was pasteurized at 95 ± 1 °C 5 min, cooled down till43 ± 1 °C and fermented with β-galactosidase and starter YC-X11 (Chr. Hansen, Denmark) andfermented till pH 4.50 ± 0.20. Different commercial β-galactosidases: Nola™ Fit 5500,Ha-Lactase 5200 (Chr. Hansen, Denmark), GODO-YNL2 (Danisco, Denmark) and BrennZyme(Brenntag PolskaSp, Poland) were used. Fermented samples were gently mixed and cooled downtill 6 ± 1 °C and 5% (w/w) of sugar was added to each sample. Sensory evaluation of the yoghurt’ssamples was performed by teenagers (14–18 years, n = 50) at Aizputes Secondary School(Latvia). Lactose and monosaccharides concentration prior to sugar addition was detected byHPLC (Shimadzu LC 20 Prominence, Japan).The lactose hydrolysis into glucose and galactose by the use of β-galactosidase helps to increasesweetness through an occurrence of natural sugars in milk. During sensory evaluation, teenagersadmitted the yoghurt with reduced sugar as sweet, significantly sweeter (P < 0.05) was yoghurtsample with Nola™ Fit 5500. The results demonstrated that it is possible to reduce sugar inyoghurt production and to gain consumer acceptance through the occurrence of glucose andgalactose, but it is problematic to offer lactose-free or reduced lactose products to consumerswithout lactose intolerance.