ABSTRACT

Yoghurt was produced from blends of milk obtained from coconut milk, soybean milk and cow milk by fermentation using starter cultures of Lacto bacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. Physico-chemical, sensory evaluation and microbial analysis were carried out. The results of the physico chemical analysis showed that the raw material had moisture content of 71.61% to 88.32%, ash content of 0.73% to 1.12%, fat content of 1.49% to 2.27%, total solid content of 24.40% to 11.68%, protein content of 4.6 1% to 2.75%, pH of 5.90% to 6.24%, viscosity of 217.00mPa to 187.20mPa, TTA of 0.51% to 0.78%, brix of 7.92% to 5.81% respectively while the yoghurt samples had moisture content of 77.14% to 77.66%, fat content of 1.14% to 1.31%, total solid of 22.87% to 18.36%, ash content of 1.18% to 0.62%, protein content of 5.47% to 3.97%, pH content of 5.51% to 6.75%, TTA of 0.41% to 1.01%, viscosity of 208.30mPa to 170.40mPa, brix of 8.12% to 7.12%, lactose content of 7.23% to 4.31% respectively. The acceptability of the yoghurt produced was investigated in a sensory evaluation study. The sensory evaluation analysis of the samples indicated that the yoghurt produced from blends of cow milk, coconut milk, soy milk 40%, 20%, 40%(CCSY424) did not differ significantly (P>0.05) from the cow milk yoghurt(CMY100). The nutritional values obtained from the proximate analysis of the yoghurt samples were comparable, therefore the yoghurt produced from blends of cow milk, coconut milk, soy milk 40%,20%,40%(CCSY424) compares well with cow milk yoghurt nutritionally and organoleptically. The microbial load recorded for samples inoculated with Nutrient Agar ranged from 1.3 x104to 2.8 xlO4cfu/ml, the samples inoculated with TVC had no growth except for sample RCCM (raw coconut milk) which had 4x103cfu/ml. The samples inoculated with SSA were found to have no growth, samples inoculated with MSA had result ranging from 8 x103to 3.5x104cfu/ml, while those inoculated with MRS ranged from 5 x103to 2.9 x104cfu/ml with no growth recorded in RSM. Bacteria which were isolated from the milk and yoghurt samples were Staphylococcus spp, Bacillus spp, Lacto bacillus spp, Enterobacter.