Development of Greek-like yogurt from camel milk fortified with goat whey and sweetened with fig powder

Introduction This study was conducted to explore the production of Greek-like yogurt from protein fortified camel milk and to evaluate how compositional and processing modifications could enhance its technological and sensory qualities. The research specifically investigated the effects of protein fortification and trisodium citrate addition as standardization tools, as well as the substitution of sucrose with fig ( Ficus carica L.) powder as a natural sweetener and functional ingredient. Methods Hence, it was conducted in two phases. Initially, various protein powders were tested to enhance fermentation, with goat whey (GW) showing superior results compared to cow whey protein isolate (CWPI). GW was selected for further research. Results and discussion In the main phase, GW protein was used to standardize camel milk, replacing sugar with fig powder in treatments labelled GCM-F0 to GCM-F100. Over 15 days, fig-enriched formulations exhibited improved water-holding capacity and lower syneresis. Up to 75% sugar replacement maintained optimal viscosity and stability. The addition of fig powder led to an increase in total phenolic content. However, the antioxidant activity measured on the same day of storage did not show significant changes based on the amount of fig powder used. Notably, the duration of storage had a significant impact at each level of fig powder addition, as it increased the DPPH radical scavenging activity over time. Additionally, the incorporation of fig powder increased the browning index, while reducing sweet and sour taste sensations. The study concluded that natural additives like fig powder can enhance camel milk Greek-like yogurt, appealing to health-conscious consumers.