(Alloncle & Doublier, 1991). Self-aggregation of starch granules due
to a depletion flocculation mechanism has been suggested to
explain the synergistic effect of starch and xanthan (Abdulmola,
Hember, Richardson, & Morris, 1996). EPS from the LB1 starter
had the highest ability to retain serum in set yoghurt but lost this
property in stirred yoghurt. Hassan et al. (2003) observed that
stirring with a spoon led to a more homogenous protein network
with smaller pore sizes in comparison with set fermented milk with
EPS. However, the structure of the EPS in their study was unknown.
Therefore, the smoothing process might have broken the original
web-like EPS structure that was possibly responsible for the
enhancement of serum retention. This underlines the effect of
shear on EPS functionality.