QUALITY EVALUATION OF POWDERED MILK-BASED YOGURT WITH YAKULT STARTER AND VARYING LEVELS OF LIME JUICE ADDITION

This study aimed to evaluate the quality of yogurt produced with full-cream powdered milk and Lactobacillus casei Shirota (Yakult) as a starter culture, with varying additions of fresh lime (Citrus aurantifolia) juice.Four treatments were prepared with lime juice additions of 0 mL (control), 10 mL, 20 mL, and 30 mL per 500 mL yogurt base.The physical, chemical, and sensory properties-including pH, total acidity, viscosity, vitamin C content, syneresis, and organoleptic characteristics (color, aroma, taste, texture)-were analyzed.Organoleptic evaluation employed a hedonic scale assessed by 10 panelists.Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Duncan's Multiple Range Test at a 5% significance level.Results showed that increasing lime juice concentration to 30 mL significantly decreased acceptance of yogurt flavor, while color, aroma, and texture were not significantly affected.The addition of lime juice tended to enhance aroma intensity, and physicochemical properties remained relatively stable across treatments.Based on sensory acceptance, it is recommended that the addition of lime juice not exceed 20 mL per 500 mL of yogurt (≤ 4% v/v) to maintain consumer preference.This study highlights the potential of combining powdered milk and Yakult starter with natural lime juice to produce probiotic yoghurt with enhanced nutritional and sensory qualities suitable for small-scale production and commercial applications.