Effect of Bamboo Shoot Powder on the Stability of Fermented Dairy Beverages

Sheep cheese production generates large amounts of whey, which is commonly underutilized despite its nutritional value. The development of whey-based beverages can valorize this by-product; however, whey’s low protein content leads to poor stability. The search for natural stabilizers from renewable sources is a current challenge in the food industry. This study evaluated bamboo shoot (Dendrocalamus asper) powder subjected to (i) no boiling, (ii) boiling for 60 min (short boiling), and (iii) boiling for 100 min (long boiling) as a stabilizer in dairy beverages produced with whey-to-milk ratios of 70:30 and 75:25. Thermal pretreatments reduced the cyanide content of bamboo shoots by more than 99% and promoted structural modifications observed by scanning electron microscopy. The pH and acidity of the beverages were not affected by the addition of bamboo shoots or commercial stabilizer. Short and long boiling treatments reduced whey separation by approximately 50% compared with beverages without stabilizer and by 27% compared with those containing commercial stabilizer, regardless of whey concentration. Regarding rheological behavior, beverages containing bamboo shoot powder exhibited lower apparent viscosity and greater variation in rheological profiles during storage compared with formulations containing commercial stabilizer. Overall, short boiling (60 min) was a promising pretreatment, achieving substantial cyanide reduction and lower whey separation during static storage, despite lower apparent viscosity under flow conditions compared with the commercial stabilizer. These findings highlight the potential of bamboo shoot powder as a natural stabilizer for sheep milk whey beverages, although further studies are needed to confirm its technological applicability and safety.