RADE POPOVIC¹*, SPASENIJA MILANOVIC², MIRELA  ILICIC², MARIJAN RANOGAJEC²,
KATARINA KANURIC², VLADIMIR VUKIC², DAJANA HRNJEZ²

*Corresponding author

1. University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Economics of Subotica, 24000 Subotica, Serbia

2. University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technology Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare nutritive, microbiological and rheological characteristics in fermented milk samples produced from milk with different fat content; 0.9% (w/w) and 2.2% (w/w) by kombucha inoculum application. Also, the average cost structure of both beverages was analysed and compared with the cost structure of plain yoghurt with 2.8% fat content. Kombucha fermented milk beverages contain an average 80% of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and the rest 20% of microorganisms were yeast and acetic acid bacteria (AAB). The samples are a good source of minerals (Ca, K, Na, Mg, P) and vitamins (B1, B2 and B6). Low fat kombucha fermented milk contained a 6.0% lower atherogenic index than beverage with 2.2 % (w/w) fat content. The Sample with 2.2% (w/w) fat content showed higher values of rheological characteristics than the low fat sample. Low fat kombucha fermented milk beverage has a lower average cost for both packaging types. Both drinks can be classified as a high nutritive, valuable and price competitive food that is intended for special consumers categories.

INTRODUCTION

Kombucha is a symbiosis of bacteria and yeast embedded within cellulosic pelliculs. Major bacterial genus in most of five different samples from distinct geographic locations was Gluconobacter, present in 85% of the samples. Lactobacillus population was identified in up to 30% of the samples, while the yeast population was dominated by Zygosaccharomides (95% of samples) (1- 4).

Kombucha is traditionally cultivated on a sweetened black and green tea. KALLELA et al.(2012) investigated the biochemistry of kombucha fermentation by using green (GTK) and black tea (BTK). Authors found that carbon sources, glucose and fructose, resulting from sucrose were consumed faster in BTK. The biochemical changes were more rapid in BTK than in GTK, and the levels of cellulose, acetic acid equivalents, ethanol, phenolics, caffeine and proteins were higher (5).

Novel researches have shown that kombucha inoculum can be cultivated as a non-conventional starter culture and used for the production of fermented milk beverages (6-12).

In addition to the nutritional and technological characteristics of the product, the ...