Characterization of a fermented coconut milk product with and without strawberry pulp

The development of plant-based milks for use as functional foods is relatively new and challenging. The objective of this work was to develop and characterize two coconut milk products fermented by Lactobacillus reuteri LR 92. The best proportion of gums to promote greater viscosity and absence of syneresis of the beverage was 0.15% xanthan gum (w/v) and 0.05% guar gum (w/v). Two products were formulated: fermented coconut milk (FC) and fermented coconut milk with strawberry pulp (FCS). After gastrointestinal simulation, a high survival rate of L. reuteri was found for the products, with 81.63 ± 0.58% for FC and 74.17 ± 1.65% for FCS. In the hedonic acceptance sensory test (total 9 points), the products obtained global scores above 7.5. In the attitude scale test (total 7 points), 5.10 ± 1.28 for FC and 5.48 ± 1.30 for FCS. Among the fatty acids detected, the products had a higher percentage of lauric acid, with values ranging from 37.89 ± 0.89% to 44.45 ± 3.16%. The FC and FCS products showed promising results, indicating that fermented coconut milk beverages are suitable for the development of new functional products with high acceptability by the consumer.