Physiochemical and Sensory Characteristics of Made-In-Transit Yogurt

Made-in-transit (MIT) is a supply chain concept for the complete or partial manufacturing or production of perishable foods while being transported to the market. A 3³ factorial design was carried out looking at the fermentation temperature (25°C, 30°C, and 35°C), apple fiber concentration (0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5% v/w), and experimental treatment (no vibration or vibration to mimic that associated with transportation). Yogurt was manufactured using one of the four apple fiber concentrations and then fermented under one of the three fermented temperatures for 48 hours before being shifted into a 4°C cold room to finalize the gelling process. Physical-chemical properties including titratable acidity, pH, whey syneresis, and texture analysis were analyzed for all conditions using two-way ANOVA. There were noticeable differences between the fermentation temperature and the experimental treatment on the physical-chemical and sensory attributes measured. The apple fiber had no impact. A total of 63 people participated in a hedonic testing study to look at the impact the fermentation temperature, apple concentration, and the experimental treatment had on the appearance, aroma, taste, and mouthfeel of the yogurt. Consumers found the MIT yogurt to be unacceptable based upon all attributes tested (appearance, aroma, flavor, and mouthfeel)