Tasty yoghurt containing fish oil could be another alternative for a healthy diet. (Photo: Stock File/FIS)

Scientists create tasty yoghurts containing fish oil

UNITED STATES
Monday, April 09, 2012, 01:40 (GMT + 9)

Scientists at Virginia Tech have demonstrated that it may be possible to achieve the suggested daily intake of n-3 fatty acids recommended by the American Heart Association in a single serving of yoghurt. This would make it easier for people to incorporate these fatty acids into their diet.

The study’s results were published in the Journal of Dairy Science.

"The international popularity of yoghurt and the health-promoting properties associated with probiotics, minerals, vitamins and milk proteins suggest yoghurt could be an excellent vehicle for the delivery of n-3 fatty acids," said lead author Susan E Duncan, PhD, Professor and Director of the Macromolecular Interfaces with Life Sciences Programme, Food Science and Technology, Virginia Tech, EurekAlert reports.

She said exotic yoghurt flavours provide innovation opportunities.

"We tested different levels of fish oil in a savoury chilli and lime-flavoured yoghurt, and found that a 1 per cent concentration of fish oil, which provides more than the suggested daily intake, could be acceptable to a large proportion of the general population, and have a potential market among health- and nutrition-conscious consumers," Duncan elaborated.

A preliminary study showed that tasters could not differentiate between low levels of fish and butter oils in unflavoured yoghurt, but they could detect a strong fishy taste in yoghurt flavoured with oxidised fish oil.

A second panel of consumers trained to identify various tastes found the fish flavour more pronounced than the lime and acid characteristics in a chilli-lime flavoured yoghurt fortified with 1 per cent oxidised fish oil, compared with yoghurts containing 43 or 1 per cent fresh fish oil. The oxidised flavour was higher in chilli-lime yoghurts with oxidised fish oil and 1 per cent of fresh fish oil.

In a second study, 100 untrained consumers who evaluated the overall acceptance and flavour acceptance of chilli lime yoghurt enriched with butter oil or fish oil; 50 per cent of the group rated chilli-lime flavoured yoghurt fortified with 1 per cent butter oil or fish oil anywhere between "liked extremely" and "neither liked nor disliked." Thirty-nine per cent reported they would be highly likely or likely to consume it regularly.

The low overall acceptance of the product by the remaining 50 per cent of the tested group may be due to the chilli-lime flavour or the product’s lack of sweetness.

"Innovation of unsweetened, savoury flavouring in combination with the powerful health functionality of n-3 fatty acids and dairy components is of interest to a large segment of the health- or nutrition-aware population. A potential market exists for this population," Duncan concluded. 

By Natalia Real
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com

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