Development of Barnyard Millet-Honey Blended Dietetic Lassi

Background: Lassi, widely consumed as a fermented milk beverage, is characterized by a creamy consistency, smooth texture, glossy shine and a white colour with a yellowish tinge in good quality. It should also taste mild to highly acidic and have a rich, sweet aroma. Methods: In present investigation, a probiotic dietetic lassi was formulated. The product was standardized for varying levels of Barnyard millet flour and honey added with 2% concentration of Lactobacillus fermentum (NCIM-2165) strain. The developed product was analysed for sensory, physico-chemical properties and microbial count in both fresh form as well as during the storage of 15 days at refrigeration temperature (5±2oC) in different packages viz. glass bottles, PET bottles and LDPE pouches. Result: Chemical analysis of product showed antioxidant activity (4.65 to 9.36 mg/100 g), total phenol content (6.07 to 15.72 mg GAE/100 g), reducing sugar (4.12 to 8.19 mg/100 g), consistency (337.33 to 343.25 cP) and ascorbic acid (1.45 mg/100 g) respectively. Proximate analysis showed variations in fat, protein, fiber, ash, carbohydrate and total solid content among the variants. Storage studies revealed variable decrease in total viable count (TVC) over time, with the highest count (8.09 log cfu/ml) observed in the variant containing 7.5% Barnyard millet and 7.5% honey after 15 days storage at refrigeration temperature (5±2°C) in glass bottles.