Incorporation of Commercial and Agglomerated Spirulina platensis Powder in Yogurt: Effect on Rheology, Texture, Color, and Sensory Properties

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide This study evaluated the rheological and sensory properties of yogurts incorporated with commercial and fluidized-bed agglomerated with maltodextrin Spirulina platensis powders at concentrations of 0.5–2.0% ( w/w ). Yogurts containing the agglomerated powder showed significantly higher apparent viscosity ( p < 0.05) than those with the commercial powder. According to the Herschel-Bulkley model, the agglomerated formulations exhibited higher consistency indexes ( K, 2.50–3.30 Pa·s n ) and shear stress coefficients (τ 0, 1.57–1.86 Pa) but lower flow behavior indexes ( n, 0.16–0.41), indicating yogurts with greater consistency and creaminess compared to the control formulations and those incorporated with the commercial powder ( p < 0.05). Texture analysis corroborated these findings: hardness and consistency increased significantly in yogurts with the agglomerated S. platensis (0.69–1.02 N and 13.11–19.66 N·s, respectively), whereas cohesiveness (−0.82 to −0.59 N) and viscosity index (−1.145 to −0.954 N·s) remained comparable to the control ( p < 0.05). Regarding color, yogurts became darker with a characteristic bluish-green hue, more intense in those containing the agglomerated powder. For sensory analysis, the evaluation showed that yogurts containing up to 1.5% agglomerated S. platensis achieved acceptance similar to the control, whereas for the commercial powder, similarity occurred only at 0.5%. Overall, the agglomeration technique proved effective in improving the dispersion and homogeneity of cyanobacteria in yogurt, positively influencing its rheological and sensory properties.