Effect of Zedo and Almond Gums as Fat Replacers on Flow Behavior and Organoleptic Characteristics of Vanilla Low-Fat Dairy Dessert

Employing fat-replacers for development of low-fat food formulations is of growing interest because of consumers’ desire for healthy eating. The present study was aimed to investigate the possibility of using Zedo and almond gums as fat replacers for developing a vanilla low-fat dairy dessert. Effect of different levels of Zedo or almond gums (0.1, 0.2 & 0.3% w/w) on flow behavior and organoleptic characteristics of vanilla low-fat dairy dessert was studied in comparison to those of full-fat control sample. The flow behavior of the dairy desserts fitted well to the Ostwald de Waele model (R2>0.99). All the samples exhibited shear-thinning flow behavior; however, fat reduction significantly resulted in decreased apparent viscosity and consistency index and increased flow index. Zedo and almond gums both caused an increase in the consistency index and favored the shear-thinning behavior of the low-fat dairy dessert as the flow index approached zero. The low-fat dairy desserts incorporated with 0.2% Zedo gum or 0.3% almond gum did not significantly differ from full-fat control in terms of flow behavior characteristics. The low-fat dairy dessert containing 0.3% Zedo gum, despite showing stronger shear-thinning behavior, was less appreciated than full-fat control. It was shown that by using 0.2% Zedo or 0.3% almond gum, it is possible to develop a low-fat dairy dessert with desired rheological and organoleptical properties.