Developing a Low-fat Drinking Yoghurt by Incorporating Green Tea (Camellia sinensis) Extract as a Functional Ingredient

Background: Nowadays people are health-concerned and consume more of functional foods. Thus, this study is focused on developing a drinking yoghurt incorporated with green tea (Camellia sinensis) extract as a functional ingredient.Methods: Green tea extract (GTE) was obtained by brewing 02 g of dried green tea leaves in 100 mL of water at 90°C for 30 minutes. Drinking yoghurts were prepared with standardized sterilized milk incorporated with 0%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% (v/v) of GTE. Physio-chemical, microbial and sensory analysis were conducted to evaluate the quality attributes of the developed product. It was stored under refrigerated conditions (4°C) for 15 days.Result: Sensory data showed that 25% green tea extract incorporated drinking yoghurt had the best organoleptic properties. It had the significantly (p less than 0.05) highest ash and lowest fat contents compared to the control. Significantly (p less than 0.05) higher pH and lower titratable acidity values were observed in 25% green tea extract incorporated yoghurt compared to the control on 15th day of storage. The microbial analysis did not show the presence of coliform. In conclusion, yoghurt incorporated with 25% (v/v) green tea extract has better organoleptic properties and nutritional value while it can be stored under refrigerated conditions for 15 days without any quality deterioration while producing at affordable price.