Sensory acceptability and quality of flavored yogurt enriched with Spinacia oleracea extract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to determine the effects of the spinach extract and kiwi flavor on the physicochemical and organoleptic properties of yogurt. Design/methodology/approach – A total of 48 yogurt samples including yogurts flavored with kiwi flavor (1, 2 and 4 percent) and colored with spinach extract (1.25, 2.5 and 4 percent) and a control yogurt (no kiwi flavor or spinach extract) were evaluated for chemical, physical and sensory properties during 21 days of storage. Data were analyzed by ANOVA using statistical analysis system. Findings – Statistically significant differences (p<0.05) were found between the control and kiwi-spinach yogurts in terms of viscosity and syneresis. The addition of the spinach extract to yogurt resulted in an increase in the syneresis, and a decrease in the viscosity. During the storage, the values of the titratable acidity, viscosity and syneresis of yogurt samples increased, while pH decreased significantly (p<0.05). Yogurt enriched with 4 percent spinach extract and 4 percent kiwi flavor was more acceptable than the other samples, and high scored with respect to overall acceptability by panelists. Originality/value – No research had been done to formulate and compare the sensory and physicochemical properties of kiwi-spinach yogurt in Iran.