Probiotic Functional Carbonated Whey Beverages: Development and Quality Evaluation

Whey proteins have excellent nutritional characteristics due to their levels of essential amino acids with high bioavailability. However, they have a high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and a considerable polluting potential, thus, food manufacturers have opted to add whey to food formulations. The demand for beverages, containing vitamins, probiotics, prebiotics, minerals, and bioactive compounds (antioxidants) with health benefits, has increased and driven market growth. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a probiotic functional carbonated beverage from cheese whey and evaluate its microbiological and physicochemical characteristics soon after production and during storage. The viability and stability of probiotics, as well as the microbiological characteristics, titratable acidity and sedimentation of the beverage, were monitored during one month of refrigerated storage. The probiotic to be added to the formulation was established in a preliminary step. The production of this beverage proved to be a simple technology, and the product was suitable for the incorporation of the probiotic, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis. The probiotic showed good viability and stability during storage. The microbiological quality of the beverage met the Brazilian legal standards. The pH and titratable acidity of the probiotic carbonated beverage remained stable during storage, and slight sedimentation was observed after one week of refrigerated storage.