Author(s)

Zeineddine Mayssoun, Nassif Nadine

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Yoghurt (Laban) is one of the most consumed food products in Lebanon. Thus its quality has given a concern. In this study, the sensory, chemical and rheological properties of commercial and traditional samples were investigated in order to characterize this fermented milk. Hence, Laban samples were collected from 14 areas in Lebanon; especially from mountainous regions and from the capital Beirut. Forty-two samples were provided by processing industry whether at small, medium, or large scale. A statistical analysis was carried out, and thus sensory and physicochemical properties were subjected to two approaches of variance analysis. Pearson correlation coefficients between attributes were also calculated. Both, the analyses of variance and correlations were conducted using SPSS 3. The physicochemical analysis and the microbiological analysis exhibit a significant effect of the date, and the manufacturing process. Also, the instrumental data showed no significant correlation between physicochemical and microbiological parameters, which indicates that they are completely independent. Moreover, the general appreciation of descriptive sensory analysis of products display that this appreciation is not dependant on the production process. It is also noticed that some sensory characteristics can be dread by instrumental measures. This research endorses the essential role of quality control for the manufacturing of yoghurt in Lebanon.

Laban; Rheology; Manufacturing Process; Sensory Analysis; Lebanon

Mayssoun, Z. and Nadine, N. (2010) Influence of production processes in quality of fermented milk "Laban" in Lebanon. Health, 2, 381-389. doi: 10.4236/health.2010.24057.