Quality characteristics of yogurt sweetened with stevia and enriched with date pulp

Özgül Gerçeker; Rana Koç; Selin Budak; Elif Özer; Cem Karagözlü

doi:10.20289/zfdergi.1810127

EN TR

Quality characteristics of yogurt sweetened with stevia and enriched with date pulp

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the production of date yogurts with potentially improved functional and nutritional properties by incorporating different levels of stevia as a natural sweetener, in combination with date fruit and whey powder to increase dry matter content. Materials and Methods: Date yogurts were produced from standardized cow’s milk supplemented with whey powder (10%) and sweetened with date pulp and stevia (2% and 4%). The samples were analyzed during storage for physicochemical, microbiological, textural, antioxidant, and sensory properties. Results: Replacing sucrose with stevia had no significant effect on pH, titratable acidity, or water-holding capacity, thereby maintaining physicochemical stability. Yogurts containing 4% stevia exhibited the highest viscosity and firmness, while total phenolic content ranged from 0.44 to 0.56 mg GAE/g, reflecting the antioxidant contribution of date pulp. Although slight variations in starter culture activity were observed, sensory evaluation confirmed the acceptability of yogurts formulated with 4% stevia. Conclusion: The results indicate that stevia can be effectively used as a sugar substitute in date-enriched yogurt formulations, enabling the development of a reduced-sugar product with acceptable quality and sensory characteristics. All produced date yogurts complied with relevant quality standards.

Keywords

Date, fruit yogurt, quality characteristics, sensory evaluation, sweeteners

Supporting Institution

This research was supported by TÜBİTAK 2209 – A (Project No: 1919B012214439).

Project Number

Project No: 1919B012214439

Ethical Statement

The manuscript titled Quality Characteristics of the Date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Yogurts Produced with Different Sweeteners that we sent to Journal of the Agriculture of Ege University does not require Ethics Committee approval since it does not include animal experiments, surveys, interviews, focus group studies, etc.

Thanks

Thanks to TÜBİTAK that supported our project

Stevia ile tatlandırılmış ve hurma püresi ile zenginleştirilmiş yoğurdun kalite özellikleri

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışmada, prebiyotik lifler açısından zengin doğal ve fonksiyonel bir tatlandırıcı olan stevia ile yüksek lif ve antioksidan özelliği bilinen hurma ile zenginleştirilmiştir. Kuru madde peyniraltı suyu tozu ile arttırılmıştır. Üretilen üç farklı hurmalı yoğurtların kalite ve fonksiyonel özellikleri araştırılmıştır. Materyal ve Yöntem: Yoğurt üretiminde, süt, peynir altı suyu tozu ile standardize edilerek, %10 hurma pulpu ve %2 ve %4 oranındaki farklı stevia ile tatlandırılmıştır. Örnekler, depolama sırasında fizikokimyasal, mikrobiyolojik, dokusal, antioksidan ve duyusal özellikler açısından analiz edilmiştir. Araştırma Bulguları: Sakaroz yerine stevia kullanılması yoğurtların pH'ı, titrasyon asitliği veya su tutma kapasitesi üzerinde önemli bir etkisi olmadı ve böylece fizikokimyasal stabiliteleri korundu. %4 Stevia ile tatlandırılmış yoğurtlarda en yüksek viskozite ve sertlik görülürken, hurma pulpu ilavesi ile antioksidan ve toplam fenolik miktarı da (0,44-0,56 mg GAE/g) artmıştır. Starter yoğurt kültürü aktivitesinde küçük farklılıklar gözlemlense de duyusal değerlendirme %4 stevia içeren hurmalı yoğurtlar daha çok beğenilmiştir. Sonuç: İlave şeker içermeyen, hurma püresi ilavesiyle daha sağlıklı ve fonksiyonel bir meyveli yoğurt geliştirerek, tüketicilerin düşük kalorili, doğal tatlandırılmış süt ürünlerine olan talebini karşılamış ve kalite standartlarına uymuştur.

Keywords

Hurma, meyveli yoğurt, kalite özellikleri, duyusal değerlendirme, tatlandırıcılar

Supporting Institution

Bu proje TÜBİTAK 2209-A (Project No: 1919B012214439) tarafından desteklenmiştir

Project Number

Project No: 1919B012214439

Ethical Statement

Ege Üniversitesi Ziraat Fakültesi Dergisi'ne yolladığımız Farklı Tatlandırıcılarla Üretilen Hurmalı (Phoenix Dactylifera L.) Yoğurtlarının Kalite Özellikleri isimli çalışma hayvan deneyleri, anket, mülakat, odak grup çalışması vb. çalışmaları içermediği için Etik Kurul onayı gerekmemektedir.

Thanks

Projemizi katkılarından dolayı TÜBİTAK'a teşekkür ederiz

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Dairy Technology

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Özgül Gerçeker
0009-0004-5873-5592
Türkiye

Rana Koç This is me
0009-0003-1889-3249
Türkiye

Selin Budak This is me
0009-0009-3275-9269
Türkiye

Elif Özer ^*
0000-0003-2899-680X
Türkiye

Cem Karagözlü
0000-0002-2874-4998
Türkiye

Publication Date

June 28, 2026

Submission Date

November 4, 2025

Acceptance Date

April 7, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 63 Number: 2

DOI

https://doi.org/10.20289/zfdergi.1810127

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA67GW82XA

APA

Gerçeker, Ö., Koç, R., Budak, S., Özer, E., & Karagözlü, C. (2026). Quality characteristics of yogurt sweetened with stevia and enriched with date pulp. Journal of Agriculture Faculty of Ege University, 63(2), 141-154. https://doi.org/10.20289/zfdergi.1810127

AMA

1.Gerçeker Ö, Koç R, Budak S, Özer E, Karagözlü C. Quality characteristics of yogurt sweetened with stevia and enriched with date pulp. Journal of Agriculture Faculty of Ege University. 2026;63(2):141-154. doi:10.20289/zfdergi.1810127

Chicago

Gerçeker, Özgül, Rana Koç, Selin Budak, Elif Özer, and Cem Karagözlü. 2026. “Quality Characteristics of Yogurt Sweetened With Stevia and Enriched With Date Pulp”. Journal of Agriculture Faculty of Ege University 63 (2): 141-54. https://doi.org/10.20289/zfdergi.1810127.

EndNote

Gerçeker Ö, Koç R, Budak S, Özer E, Karagözlü C (June 1, 2026) Quality characteristics of yogurt sweetened with stevia and enriched with date pulp. Journal of Agriculture Faculty of Ege University 63 2 141–154.

IEEE

[1]Ö. Gerçeker, R. Koç, S. Budak, E. Özer, and C. Karagözlü, “Quality characteristics of yogurt sweetened with stevia and enriched with date pulp”, Journal of Agriculture Faculty of Ege University, vol. 63, no. 2, pp. 141–154, June 2026, doi: 10.20289/zfdergi.1810127.

ISNAD

Gerçeker, Özgül - Koç, Rana - Budak, Selin - Özer, Elif - Karagözlü, Cem. “Quality Characteristics of Yogurt Sweetened With Stevia and Enriched With Date Pulp”. Journal of Agriculture Faculty of Ege University 63/2 (June 1, 2026): 141-154. https://doi.org/10.20289/zfdergi.1810127.

JAMA

1.Gerçeker Ö, Koç R, Budak S, Özer E, Karagözlü C. Quality characteristics of yogurt sweetened with stevia and enriched with date pulp. Journal of Agriculture Faculty of Ege University. 2026;63:141–154.

MLA

Gerçeker, Özgül, et al. “Quality Characteristics of Yogurt Sweetened With Stevia and Enriched With Date Pulp”. Journal of Agriculture Faculty of Ege University, vol. 63, no. 2, June 2026, pp. 141-54, doi:10.20289/zfdergi.1810127.

Vancouver

1.Özgül Gerçeker, Rana Koç, Selin Budak, Elif Özer, Cem Karagözlü. Quality characteristics of yogurt sweetened with stevia and enriched with date pulp. Journal of Agriculture Faculty of Ege University. 2026 Jun. 1;63(2):141-54. doi:10.20289/zfdergi.1810127

Quality characteristics of yogurt sweetened with stevia and enriched with date pulp

Abstract

Keywords

Supporting Institution

Project Number

Ethical Statement

Thanks

Stevia ile tatlandırılmış ve hurma püresi ile zenginleştirilmiş yoğurdun kalite özellikleri

Abstract

Keywords

Supporting Institution

Project Number

Ethical Statement

Thanks

References

Details

Primary Language

Subjects

Journal Section

Authors

Publication Date

Submission Date

Acceptance Date

Published in Issue

DOI

IZ

Cite