Effect of inulin in liquid products
In Table 1 an overview of the variables used in studies of the
effects of inulin addition of various dairy beverages is presented. De
Castro, Cunha, Barreto, Camboni, and Prudêncio (2009) observed
that the incorporation of 2% or 5% of oligofructose in whole fat
fermented milk lowered the time dependency, the pseudoplastic
behaviour and the consistency index value. No significant differences
were detected in the flow behaviour of fermented milks with
2% or 5% of oligofructose. The authors suggested that the results
may be related to a possible plasticising effect of oligofructose
which results in less moisturising and reduction of the hydrodynamic
volume of the protein, thereby decreasing viscosity.
When native or long-chain inulin was added to low-fat fermented
milk or to kefir a different effect was observed. Native