PRODUCTION AND EVALUATION OF PROBIOTIC KINNOW JUICE

Probiotic kinnow juice was formulated with stable and viable beneficial probiotic content in the recommended dose (˃106 cfu/ml) with a shelf life of one month. Two probiotic cultures Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei were added in the microencapsulated and free form individually as well as in combination to the kinnow juice. The data were subjected to JMP statistical software (Version 10) for analysis of variance (ANOVA). Viability of ˃107 cfu/ml was found in the developed kinnow juice. This count was found to decline after four weeks of storage. The pH, TSS and total sugar content were found to decline and the titrable acidity of the developed kinnow juice increased significantly after four weeks of storage in some of the treatments. Sensory evaluation revealed a consumer preference for the juices containing the probiotics in free form as well as the ones containing both the probiotic cultures in combination.