The effects of the addition of starter cultures and stevioside on technological low-fat fermented sherbet ice-cream without sugar.

Background: The maintenance and strengthening of public health and the prevention of diseases associated with the malnutrition of children and adults is an urgent and acute problem facing the population of the whole world. Diabetes type 2 has become a serious problem for modern medicine. This disease is widespread throughout the world among children and adolescents. There are substantial grounds to believe that this global incidence is related to obesity and physical inactivity. There is a diverse assortment of ice-creams and frozen desserts available all around the world. Even with the development of the ice-cream industry, frozen desserts for people suffering from diabetes type I and II have not been sufficiently developed. Therefore, this study aims to select low-calorie components for use in the manufacture of sherbet ice-cream without sucrose in their composition, with a low glycemic index and with a high content of protein and vitamins.

Methods: Tо develop the technology and formulation of the product, a combination of appropriate starter cultures and their ratios were determined. The most suitable fruit mix with a low glycemic index was chosen to maintain the product with properties desirable to consumers.

Results: Combined starter cultures, consisting of CHN-22 and St-Body 1 at a ratio of 7:3 were selected experimentally. The best thixotropic properties were shown by the test samples with a titratable acidity of 60–65°Т at a fermentation temperature of 33 ±1°C. The fruit mixture for the sherbet ice-cream was made from fruits and berries recommended for people with diabetes, including cherries, blueberries and lingonberries at a ratio of 3:4:3, respectively. The part of the mixture that was inserted into the sherbet ice-cream was evaluated as 25% of the weight of the final mixture. Stevioside and syrup of Jerusalem artichoke were selected at amounts of 0.05% and 7.5% by weight of the mixture respectively. The resulting sherbet was not inferior in sweetness to the control sample with 21% sucrose. The shelf life of the low-fat fermented sherbet ice-cream without sugar was obtained according to the results of research on organoleptic, physicochemical and microbiological properties and was substantiated as 3 months at 18°С.

Conclusions: The presented production procedure enables the manufacture of a low-fat, sugar-free product with preventive and therapeutic properties for people who suffer from diabetes and obesity. Studies were conducted on the influence of the introduced starter cultures and sweeteners on the organoleptic, physicochemical and rheological parameters of the developed low-fat frozen sherbet. Starter cultures and doses of stevioside which had a favorable effect on the indicators of the finished product were selected.