Evaluación de la estabilidad de Weizmannia coagulans en una bebida carbonatada de Ananas comosus (piña) para la obtención de una bebida probiótica

Abstract

Non fermented probiotic carbonated beverages made with fruit emerging as an attractive alternative to traditional soft drinks, as they respond to the demand for products with lower added sugar content, no chemical preservatives and probiotic benefits, creating an opportunity to incorporate stable spore forming microorganisms into fruit based carbonated beverages. In this study, six formulations of a carbonated pineapple juice beverage with added Weizmannia coagulans were developed and evaluated, varying the ripeness stage of the fruit and the level of carbonation; the juice was pasteurized, mixed with water and carbonated with carbon dioxide, then bottled and stored under refrigeration for two months, during which physicochemical and microbiological parameters, probiotic viability and sensory acceptance were monitored using a panel of young adult consumers. The results showed that all formulations maintained Weizmannia coagulans counts above the minimum recommended to exert a probiotic effect, with no evidence of undesirable fermentation and with stable pH, titratable acidity and soluble solids, while beverages made with ripe pineapple achieved the highest sensory scores and therefore stand out as the most promising alternative for technological validation and eventual industrial scale up as a clean label carbonated probiotic beverage targeted at young consumers.