Comparative Analysis of Nutritional, Physicochemical, Microbiological, and Sensorial Characteristics of Dairy Yogurts Containing Probiotic Bacteria and Sandalwood Essential Oil Versus Plant‐Based Yogurts Made From Lupine Milk

ABSTRACT Nowadays, individuals with cow's milk allergy have shown greater interest in plant‐based (PB) milk alternatives. This study addresses this issue by producing cow's milk yogurt, lupin‐based yogurt, and a hybrid of cow's and PB milk yogurt. In addition, a safe food formulation was developed by incorporating probiotic bacteria and sandalwood oil into these yogurt types. Statistical analysis revealed that the type of milk significantly influenced the physicochemical properties of the yogurts ( p < 0.05). The highest mean syneresis (6.78 mL/25 g) was observed in the cow's milk yogurt (C2), whereas the combination of dairy and lupin‐based yogurt (CL2) exhibited the greatest water‐holding capacity (WHC) (3933 cP). The total phenolic content (TPC) across all yogurt samples ranged from 6.67 to 19.58 mg GAE/g, with the lupin‐based yogurts showing the highest values. Specifically, the lupin‐based yogurt (L4) displayed the highest antioxidant activity of 34.14%, compared to 9.49% in dairy yogurt (C1). Throughout the storage period, Lactobacillus acidophilus counts remained above 8.45 log cfu/mL in dairy yogurt and 7.78 log cfu/g in lupin‐based yogurt. The firmness, cohesiveness, and viscosity index values of lupin‐based yogurts were higher than those of the other yogurt types. Organoleptic analysis indicated that PB yogurts were similarly well‐received as dairy products.