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<0.05) highest ash and lowest fat contents compared to the control. Significantly (p<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.