Study of the rheological properties of a kefir product

Kefir is the leading consumer product among the group of fermented milk drinks. Kefir products are no exception. Fermented milk products contain amino acids, lactic acid bacteria, vitamins, macro- and microelements. The digestibility of fermented milk products is higher than that of milk. The specified group of products can be consumed by people with lactose intolerance. Scientific research in the dairy industry makes it possible to create high quality products by improving their formulation, enriching them with plant components. In the production of kefir product, a concentrated starter culture “Profiline” KF 40.11 D Golden Line and pumpkin seed meal are used. Pumpkin seed meal contains about 50% protein, 20% fiber, dietary fiber, vitamins and other components. It has a high degree of hydration, which, if the dosage is correctly selected, has a beneficial effect on the consistency of the product it contains. Samples of kefir products with the addition of a vegetable component have been developed. The mass fraction of the added component of pumpkin seed meal was determined experimentally. The optimal dosage of meal in the kefir product has been established. The product had a fermented milk taste and smell with a characteristic aroma of meal, uniform consistency with the inclusion of meal particles, white color with inclusions of mustard-colored meal particles, fat mass fraction of 3.2%. The analysis of the syneresis of the developed samples has been carried out. The improvement of the rheological properties of the product has been experimentally proven.