Quality Characteristics of Calcium Fortified Yogurt Prepared with Milk Mineral

This study was conducted to evaluate the potential use of milk mineral (MM) as the calcium source for the production of calcium-fortified yogurt. MM was composed of 83% minerals, 7.5% lactose, 3.3% protein, and < 1% fat. Calcium (Ca) content in MM was about 46%; calcium: phosphorous ratio was 1.28:1. The aqueous solubility of Ca increased with the decrease in pH; the solubility at pH 4 and 5 was 98% and 53%, respectively. Ca-fortified yogurt with up to 200 mg Ca/100 mL did not show significant differences in acid production and number of viable cells; however, the viscosity increased significantly (p < 0.05) with the increase in Ca levels. Microstructure analysis of Ca-fortified yogurt using confocal scanning laser microscopy indicated that the protein network became denser with increasing fortification with MM. There was no significant difference in the sensory quality between the control and Ca-fortified yogurts. Therefore, MM could be used for the production of Ca-fortified yoghurt without compromising the quality characteristics of yogurt.