Effect of stabilizer on the physicochemical and microbiology

properties of wheygurt

Juniawati, S Usmiati, A Budiyanto

Indonesian Center for Agricultural Postharvest Research and Development, Bogor
16114, West Java. Indonesia

Email : junia.sahib@gmail.com

Abstract. In Indonesia, the consumption of cheese has increased every year. Whey is the by-
product of cheese production which is abundant availability. Cheese whey can cause
environmental problems due to its high Biocehmical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Chemical
Oxygen Demand (COD) concentrations. Untill now, cheese whey utilization has not been
optimal whereas it contains all essential amino acids and other healthy nutritions. One of the
potensial product developed from cheese whey is wheygurt. This study was carried out to
investigate the effect of various stabilizer on physicochemical and microbiology properties of
wheygurt for 21 days of storage in cold temperature. Wheygurt was prepared by using various
stabilizer like maizena, gelatin, pectin and CMC. The study showed that the treatment had a
significant effects on physicochemical and microbiology characteristics of wheygurt. Gelatin
and pectin are stabilizers that can produce wheygurt with good characteristics both physically,
chemically and microbiologically.

Keywords:fermentation, lactic acid, milk, wheygurt, stabilizer

1. Introduction
Cheese is one of dairy products that is widely consumed. In Indonesia, the consumption of cheese has
increased every year. Based on Fonterra's research, national cheese consumption in 2016 increased
8.1% compared to 20151. Although a lot of cheese is imported, it does not rule out the development of
cheese production in Indonesia. Some local industries has already produced cheese such as Mazaaat
Cheese in Yogyakarta, Indrakila Cheese in Boyolali, Baros cheese in Sukabumi. In cheese processing,
whey as by-product is obtained in enormous quantities. Cheese yield is commonly around 10-15 %
and whey is around 85-90 % of all milk processed into cheese. The average production of the cheese
industry in Indonesia is 30-50 kg per day from 500 liters of fresh milk taken from local farmers and
produce 270-450 liters of cheese whey from cheese production 2. The Cooperative of South Bandung
Farmers (Koperasi Peternakan Bandung Selatan) produce cheese whey around 3000-6000 liters per
week3.
Improper management of whey can cause pollution because most of the organic matter in whey can
reduce oxygen levels in the water. Whey contains 50,000 mg/L Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)
and 80,000 mg/L Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) 4 which can cause environmental pollution. On
the other side, whey can be used for food products because it still contains a number of nutrients.
Cheese It is composed of 45-50 g/L lactose and 7-9 g/L protein. Whey also contains essential amino
acid and non essential amino acid. There are two type of cheese whey : acid whey (pH <5) resulting
from soft cheese production and sweet whey (pH 6-7)resulting from hard (ripened cheese) 5. One of the
functional food products derived from whey is wheygurt.
Wheygurt is a probiotic drink that almost the same processing with yogurt but wheygurt has low
viscosity. Cheese whey contain 93,66 % water 3. One of the parameters that determine the quality of
wheygurt is syneresis. The higher of syneresis cause lower quality of wheygurt. Syneresis can be
caused by the low solids in wheygurt 6. Therefore in wheygurt processing, a stabilizer is needed to
reduce a syneresis during storage. In the process of making yogurt, there is an increase in the amount
of total acid which triggers a decrease in pH to around the isoelectric pH of casein (4.6), resulting in a
decrease in water binding capacity, this makes yogurt suseptible to syneresis, namely physical damage
in the form of separation of the whey liquid from the gel. The addition of stabilizer causes an increase
in the hydrophilic properties of the protein so that its ability to bind water increases.
Stabilizer is a hydrocolloid that can improve the taste and appearance of yogurt and prevent
syneresis7. Hydrocolloid are derived from animal (gelatin, chitosan), plant (pectin, cellulose),
microbial (xanthan gum, gellan gum) or synthetic hydrocolloid. Using stabilizer also can increase total
solid content of wheygurt. Increase in total solid level in the milk base increases viscoelastic properties
and water holding capacity of yoghurts 8. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of
stabilizer to improve quality of wheygurt.

2. Materials and methods

2.1 Materials
Fresh milk from Eki’s farm, whey is obtained from by product of cheese processing, commercial
stabilizers (pectin, carboxymethylcellulose, gelatin, and corn starch), starter culture Bi-proyo
(Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus casei, Bifidobacterium longum)
is research product of Indonesian Center of Agricultural Postharvest Research and Development,
sugar.

2.2 Methods
In this study, the wheygurt processing was carried out by mixing yogurt and whey at a ratio of 60:40.
The preparation of yoghurt
Fresh milk was heated to 70-800C for 30 minutes. The pasteurized milk was cooled to 37-40 0C and 3
% starter culture was inoculated then incubated at room temperature for 24 hours or incubated at 40 0C
for 4-5 hours. After 24 hours, the yoghurt is aging for 1 night in cold temperatures.

The preparation of wheygurt

Stabilizer (0,5 %) was added to whey then heated to 70-80 0C for 30 minutes. The pasteurized whey
was cooled to 400C. Yoghurt and whey were homogenized by using mixer for 3 minutes then
packaged in sterile packaging.

2.3 Experiment design

The experiment was designed with a completely randomized design with 4 treatments (pectin,
carboxymethylcelllulose, gelatin and corn starch) and was repeated 3 times. The observed
physicochemical variables of this study were pH, syneresis, total solid, protein and microbiology
variable was total acid lactic bacteria.

2.4 Statistical methods

ANOVA were used to analyze physicochemical and microbilogy data. Duncan’s Multiple Range Test
(DMRT) was conducted if there any significant diversity to determine the difference between
treatment.

3. Result and Discussion

Table 1. Physical properties of wheygurt

Stabilizer Total Solid pH Syneresis
( brix)
o
(cm)
H0 H21 H0 H21 H21
Corn starch 10.00±0.00a 12.33±1.15a 4.29±0,04a 4.12±0.06b 0.97±0.06c
CMC 9.60±0.40a 12.73±0.23a 4.35±0,05b 4.17±0.04b 0.53±0.15b
Pectin 9.53±0.50a 12.80±0.20a 4.37±0,40 b
4.18±0.04b 0.67±0.06b
Gelatin 9.73±0.46a 12.00±0.00a 4.30±0,20a 4.15±0.60b 0.00±0.00a

Chemical composition especially fat and protein of fresh milk is effected to total solid content of
yoghurt. Regular yoghurt has 14,18 % total solid while concentrated yoghurt has 23 % total solid 9.
Wheygurt has lower total solid content than yoghurt, because it is produced by mixing between
yoghurt and whey. In this study, stabilizer was added to increase total solid of wheygurt and to
decrease syneresis during storage. Based on statistic analysis, there were no significant different in
total solid of wheygurt both on the 1 stday and the 21th day. After 21th day of storage, total solid of
wheygurt became increase.
Based on statistic analysis, there were significant different in pH of wheygurt for H0. Wheygurt
with gelatin and corn starch has lower pH than wheygurt with pectin and CMC. This is probably
because the initial pH of CMC and pectih are higher than corn starch and gelatin. CMC has pH
between 7-8,510. After 21 days, there were no significant different in pH of wheygurt. During storage
at cold temperatures, there is a decrease in pH of whegurt. It is caused by the activity of lactic acid
bacteria to ferment lactose in milk into glucose and galactose, then the glucose is converted into lactic
acid.
Syneresis is an important parameter for evaluating quality of yoghurt 11. Based on statistic
analysis, there were significant different in syneresis of wheygurt both on the 21 th day. Wheygurt with
gelatin has the highest ability to binding water. Gelatin as stabilizer is used at a concentration 0,1-0,5
% depending on the firmness desired. In this study, gelatin at concentration 0,3 % showed no syneresis
of wheygurt for 21 days. Gelatin as hydrocolloid protein base have water binding properties and
reduce syneresis by increasing water holding capacity of wheygurt 12. The similar research showed that
gelatin increased gel firmness, prevented syneresis in yoghurt and extends the shelf life of yoghurt.
Gelatin can increase water binding capacity by interaction electrostatic with casein molecules (COO—
Ca2+ -- COO) so it happens inhibition of hydrophobic interactions in nonpolar molecules or molecules
that have nonpolar groups fused due to the acidification process 13. Gelatin is able to form peptide
bonds with casein and prevent hydrogen bonds between negatively charged casein and positively
charged lactic acid that occurs in acidic conditions, which can cause protein to coagulate and decrease
water holding capacity and stimulate syneresis. The occurrence of syneresis is probably caused by
changes in the solubility of casein and shrinkage of casein particles. In sour milk gel, especially from
lactic acid bacteria, there will be a change in the solubility of casein, and the presence of slow
proteolysis can change the casein particles to become reactive, so casein has properties like paracasein.
If the building block of the protein network shrinks, then all tissues will shrink proportionally so that
the protein's ability to bind or trap water can be lost 14

Table 2. Chemical properties of wheygurt

Stabilizer Protein (%)
H0 H21 Δ H21-H0
Corn starch 2.79±0.21 a
2.75±0.13 b
0.03±0.23b
CMC 2.59±0.19a 2.77±0.11b 0.18±0.27b
Pectin 2.80±0.33 a
1.99±0.25 a
0.80±0.17a
Gelatin 2.84±0.32 a
2.14±0.14 a
0.70±0.27a

At H0, gelatin as hydrocolloid protein base provide higher protein content in wheygurt even if
statistically, there were no significant different in protein content of wheygurt. The similar research
with Alakali et al (2008)15, stabilizers (CMC, corn starch and gelatin) at the same concentration were
not effected to protein content in yoghurt. The protein content of wheygurt is correlated with the
syneresis of wheygurt. The higher of protein content of wheygurt, the lower of syneresis of wheygurt.
Gelatin have high protein content also have lower syneresis.
After 21 days storage, there were significant different in protein content of wheygurt. Wheygurt
with pectin and gelatin have lower protein content than wheygurt with corn starch and CMC. This is
because lactic acid bacteria use protein as a nutrient to keep growing thereby lowering protein content
in wheygurt with pectin and gelatin.

B
A
Figure 1. Wheygurt performa : (A) at H0 and (B) at H21cgfxdz

Table 3. Microbiology properties of wheygurt

Stabilizer Total Lactic Acid Bacteria (CFU/ml)
H0 H21 Δ H21-1
 Corn starch 10.39±0.06c 10.27±0.03b 0.13±0.03b
CMC 10.20±0.02a 9.24±0.01a 0.95±0.02a
Pectin 10.28±0.02bc 10.25±0.25b 0.03±0.01c
Gelatin 10.22±0.03ab 10.22±0.05b 0.003±0.04c

Commonly, the two lactic acid bacteria used to yoghurt processing are Streptococcus thermopillus and
Lactobacillus bulgaricus. In this research, bacteria used for wheygurt processing consisted of 4 type of
bacteria, namely : Streptococcus thermopillus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus casei and
Bifidobacteria longum. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium genera are common microorganism used as
probiotics. Probiotic bacteria can deliver positive health outcome. Probiotic bacteria contain B-
galactosidase to improve lactose maldigestion 16. The World Helath Organization defines probiotics as
live microorganism which when administered in adequate amounts confer a helath benefit on the
host17.
Based on statical analysis, there were significant different of total lactic acid bacteria at H0 and
H21. Total acid bacteria at H0 was not effected by stabilizer because total lactic acid bacteria were
already as starter for fermentation process. During storage, total lactic acid bacteria was effected by
stabilizer because the stabilizer is also part of the nutrients used by bacteria. Wheygurt with CMC
have lower total lactic acid bacteria than other treatments. Wheygurt with pectin have higher total
lactic acid bacteria than corn starch and gelatin even as statistically no different. In bacteria, pectin
acts as one of the main carbon sources by microorganisms.
The results showed that wheygurt is a fermented beverage that good for health, as seen from the
total amount of lactic acid bacteria. When referring to yogurt, the quality of yogurt can be seen from
the total lactic acid bacteria. The total lactic acid bacteria contained in yogurt according to SNI is 10 7
CFU/ml and also meets the probiotic population according to FAO is 10 6-108 CFU/ml.

Conclusion
Wheygurt is new of dairy products that potential to be developed. Stabilizer as an food additive in the
wheygurt production is used to improve product quality. Gelatin and pectin are stabilizers that can
produce wheygurt with good characteristics both physically, chemically and microbiologically.

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