Investigation of modified adzuki bean flavored milk formulations with hydrocolloids to improve sedimentation and overall quality

This study investigates the impact of three hydrophilic colloids, namely carrageenan (CG), gellan gum (GG), and sodium alginate (SA), as additives to adzuki bean flavored milk (ABFM) to mitigate the sedimentation of adzuki bean flour and assess their effects on the quality performance of ABFM. This study showed that adding 0.06 % CG to ABFM significantly reduced the sedimentation of adzuki bean flour particles, surpassing the performance of GG and CA. The batch production of ABFM with the addition of 0.06 % CG received the highest score (7.20 points) in sensory evaluation conducted by consumer-type evaluators representing consumer preferences, aligning well with consumer preferences. Moreover, the ABFM product in this investigation demonstrated an equivalent shelf-life of 14 days to the commercially available product, without microbial proliferation or generating unpleasant odors (including lipid oxidation or rancidity). The observed benefits in ABFM can be attributed to the formation of CG-based emulsion gels, which exhibit compact, closely interconnected microstructures. Therefore, this study demonstrated that the application of CG in ABFM for emulsion gels was associated with the development of structures formed through interactions between swollen starch particles, proteins, and hydrophilic colloids. The findings presented in this study offer valuable insights for improving adzuki bean-related beverages and contributing to sediment formation mitigation.