Effect of oligofructose incorporation on the properties of fermented probiotic lactic beverages

All lactic beverages were considered probiotics. The addition of prebiotic resulted in beverages with higher total solids and total carbohydrates contents, without changing the other physicochemical parameters, including the attributes of colour. All beverages showed non-Newtonian behaviour, with shear thinning characteristics and presence of thixotropy, which is less accentuated in beverages with oligofructose. In these beverages, there was a decrease in apparent viscosity, consistency index and activation energy, and an increase in flow index and frequency factor. The beverages with oligofructose were sensory preferred in relation to the control, also showing good overall acceptability and most judges indicated that they would buy such a product.