Incorporation of rice into probiotic yogurts
seemed beneficial in improving the fibre content
of yogurts. Generally, rice incorporated yogurts
demonstrated higher total solids, fat, protein content,
titratable acidity, water holding capacity, viscosity
and texture hardness compared to plain yogurts
without rice. Rice incorporated yogurts were within
the acceptable pH range and their sensory properties
were varied based on the rice varieties used. Rice
yogurts demonstrated the ability in maintaining
higher viability of probiotic B. animalis subsp. lactis
BB-12 than plain yogurts during 21 days of storage
at 4°C suggesting favorable prebiotic properties in
rice. Therefore, it is possible to produce high quality
synbiotic yogurts through incorporation of cooked
rice into yogurts. However, careful selection of
suitable rice varieties is necessary in order to maintain
the satisfactory quality characteristics during storage.