Development & Quality Assessment of Functional Probiotic Yoghurt Drink

Fermented milk products are widely consumed for their known nutritional benefits which can further be enhanced by addition of probiotics i.e. live microorganisms (mostly lactic acid bacteria) with therapeutic properties. The health benefit of probiotic products includes not only improvement of gut health and prevention of intestinal infections but also stimulate the host immune system. These bacteria can potentially provide an important means to reduce infectious diarrheal diseases, responsible of several million human deaths mostly in developing countries. Incorporation of fruits in fermented milk not only aids in value addition and product diversification but also helps in checking the post harvest losses and hence economic loss. Fruits are rich sources of various important phyto-nutrients and addition of these in yoghurt drink enhances the bioavailability of such nutrients in dairy product. This book will help in devising affordable, sustainable technique to develop low fat,fruit and honey flavored probiotic dairy drink to improve food safety, food security and nutritional status among the consumers.