Acceptability and microbiological safety of mint-flavored dairy products.

Abstract

Milk contains a number of essential nutrients that contribute toward a health. A number of milk products exist but most are flavored using the usual food flavorants such as strawberry, chocolate and vanilla. Mint has been applied in a number of foods but with limited application in milk products. This study evaluated a commercial mint emulsion as a flavourant in different dairy products. The microbiological quality of these dairy products was determined using conventional agar plating techniques. Their consumer acceptability was also evaluated using a 5 point hedonic scale. Three mint-flavored dairy products; pasteurized milk, yogurt and ice cream were developed. They met the East African standard for microbiological safety and were all acceptable to the consumers.