Yogurt with fish oil is loved by consumers
Omega 3-rich yogurt: a bonanza loved by consumers
Supermarkets may soon be distributing exotic-tasting yogurts that conceal a rich source of Omega-3. Proposing them are researchers at Virgina Tech in Blacksburg, USA, who had potential consumers taste a yogurt, fortified with fish oil to increase Omega-3 levels. The test results were published in the Journal of Dairy Science and showed that this new product is liked by most consumers.
Why add Omega-3s to foods?
Omega-3s are the "friend" fatty acids of health:
- Are essential for the proper development of the nervous system;
- They protect the heart and blood vessels;
- exert many other benefits on the health of the body.
The main source of these nutrients is fatty fish:
- mackerel
- salmon
- tuna
- anchovies
- halibut
Securing the recommended Omega-3 levels is not always easy. For example, those who do not eat fish may find it difficult to achieve them. However, there are products derived from fish, precisely such asfish oil, that contain high amounts of Omega-3. The food industry is also offering an increasing number of foods that contain Omega-3.
Virginia Tech's proposal.
One of the latest proposals is from Virginia Tech: achieving the recommended daily levels of Omega-3 with a pot of yogurt. The wide variety of flavors also allows fish oil to be added without altering or making the product taste unpleasant. A preliminary study has shown that consumers notice no difference in taste with the addition of1 percent fresh fish oil to unflavored yogurt. The addition of oxidized oil, which has a strong fishy taste, is easily detected. Next, participants were trained to recognize and accurately describe different flavors:
- lime
- sweet
- spicy
- acid
- oxidized
After trying a lime chili yogurt, tasters said the fish flavor was much more pronounced in the product where 1% oxidized oil was added than in those containing 0.43 or 1% fresh fish oil.
Consumers say yes to yogurt
A second test involved 100 health-conscious consumers who were aware of the benefits of Omega-3 consumption:
- 50% rated lime chili yogurt with fish oil positively;
- 39% would gladly consume it on a regular basis;
- the other half did not like yogurt either because of the taste or because it was too unsweet.
Omega-3 yogurt: a new market?
Test coordinator Susan Duncan says that yogurt,combined with the benefits of probiotics, minerals, vitamins and protein, can be an excellent means of increasing Omega-3 consumption. Consumers have willingly accepted the addition of sufficient amounts of fish oil to ensure the correct daily intake of Omega-3, so the way is open for this product to be marketed.
Source:
1. Rognlien M, Duncan SE, O'Keefe SF, Eigel WN, "Consumer perception and sensory effect of oxidation in savory-flavored yogurt enriched with n-3 lipids," J Dairy Sci. 2012 Apr;95(4):1690-8
