During the heat treatment of milk for manufacture of yoghurt,
the unfolding of native b-lactoglobulin will lead to interactions
between its available thiol groups and the surface reactive sites of
the MWP. The extent of these interactions, and thereby the resultant
mechanical properties of the yoghurt system, will mainly rely
on the chemical composition and physical characteristics of the
microparticles, and the intensity of the heat treatment applied
(Renard, van de Velde, & Visschers, 2006).
Consequently, the aim of the present study was to investigate
the effect of several types of microparticulated whey protein
products used as fat replacer in plain stirred yoghurts, upon the
rheological and sensory characteristics of the final products. In
addition, a closer understanding of the relationships between the
physical properties of the stirred yoghurts and their sensory characteristics
was performed together with predictions of the selected
sensory attributes.