Development of vegan kefir fortified with Spirulina platensis

Abstract

The choices for dairy products have increased in recent years because of medical recommendations or lifestyle preferences. This study was set out to assess the importance of Spirulina platensis fortification in vegan kefir production at the ratio of 0.25% and 0.50%. The most notable plant-based milk substitutes, soy milk and almond milk, were used to produce kefir. Titratable acidity, pH, water holding capacity, and microbiological counts were measured in kefir samples for 21 days. Additionally, color, antioxidant activity, total phenolic content analysis, and rheological properties were evaluated. Increasing Spirulina platensis concentration increased the counts of lactobacilli and lactococci and the total phenolic content of kefir, whereas pH values of kefir samples decreased. An increase in the Spirulina platensis amount was correlated with lower L*, a*, and b* values than control samples. According to the results, Spirulina platensis can be considered as a promising functional food component to improve the prebiotic potential and bioactive quality of foods.