Health Beneficial and Quality Optimization of Coconut Milk Yogurt with Pineapple Puree Fortification by Differentiating the Fermentation Time and the Composition Percentage of Pineapple Puree.

The use of coconut milk as a raw material for yogurt has the potential to make yogurt and its benefits become a food product that can be consumed by everyone. Fortification of pineapple puree can maintain the quality of yogurt and has the potential to increase health benefits due to reducing the amount of fat. The aim of this research is to optimize the yogurt formulation regarding fermentation time and percentage of pineapple puree composition. The analysis carried out was total lactic acid bacteria and total plate count calculation, as well as pH, acidity, water holding capacity, viscosity, fat content, and fatty acid composition. The fermentation time variables used were 20, 24, 28, and 32 h, where 24-h fermentation time was the optimum fermentation time according to standards, with a total of lactic acid bacteria of 6.69 ± 0.03 log cfu/g, pH value of 4.45 ± 0.01, acidity of 0.46 ± 0.06%, water holding capacity 72.82 ± 0.03%, viscosity 2547 ± 55.84 cP, and fat content 15.12 ± 0.06%. Fortification of pineapple puree is carried out with composition percentage variables of 0, 4, 8, and 12%, where by fortification of 12% pineapple puree, it can maintain quality similar to unfortified coconut milk yogurt as well as lactic acid bacteria viability through 14 days storage and excel in water holding capacity (79.25 ± 3.06%), viscosity (3360 ± 38.13 cP), and low fat content (10.57 ± 0.08%). Lauric acid was the dominant fatty acid in the yogurt specimen (~ 64%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]