Summary: | Blackcurrant is a healthy, affordable, and traditionally gardened berry that, thus far, has been underused in food applications. From the consumers’ point of view, the acidic taste of blackcurrants is a challenge; therefore, these berries have mainly been utilized for sugary juice production. This research study aimed to develop a frozen vegan blackcurrant product with pleasant sensory properties and potential probiotic function. A candidate probiotic, <i>Lactoplantibacillus plantarum</i> Q823, was used in the manufacturing process. The physicochemical properties, nutritional composition, and consumer preference for the developed product were assessed, as was the viability of <i>L. plantarum</i> Q823 during storage time and in an in vitro gastrointestinal model. Consumers (<i>n</i> = 71) perceived the developed product to be pleasant. <i>L. plantarum</i> Q823 had high viability counts (log colony forming units (cfu) g<sup>−1</sup> 7.0 ± 0.38) in the final product, although the viability of <i>L. plantarum</i> Q823 during storage time needs to be enhanced to obtain a probiotic product. Thus, within an optimized formulation, blackcurrant berries represent a potential raw material for functional frozen food products.
|