Effect of guar gum on the quality of yogurt

Guar gum is a water-soluble dietary fiber, the main component of which is galactomannan, and can be used as a thickening agent in food.

By partially hydrolyzing guar gum and reducing the average relative molecular mass of polysaccharides, the physical and chemical properties of polysaccharides such as viscosity and solubility can be changed, which in turn can produce many biological activities that were not available before hydrolysis.

Guar gum can promote the proliferation of Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus in the fermentation process of yogurt, increase the number of live bacteria in yogurt, promote acid production by lactic acid bacteria, accelerate curdling, significantly increase the viscosity and water holding capacity of yogurt, and improve the textural quality of yogurt, and the sensory quality of yogurt reached the best when guar gum was added at 10-15 g/L. The results showed that guar gum can be used as an effective yogurt additive.