A cereal‐based nondairy probiotic functional beverage: An insight into the improvement in quality characteristics, sensory profile, and shelf‐life.

The demand for nondairy probiotic food is on the rise due to the constraints associated with dairy probiotics. In the present work, probiotic drink was prepared from a mixture of oats, barley buckwheat, and red rice, further the effect of additives on the probiotic count, physiochemical, and sensory attributes along with the shelf‐life of the drink was evaluated. Grains were mixed in the ratio of 6:2:1:1 (oats: barley: buckwheat: red rice) and were roasted, cooked, strained, homogenised, and filtered. The drink was inoculated with Lactobacillus plantarum (NCIM 2084/NCIB 8531) a probiotic bacterium. Fructo‐oligosaccharide, inulin, guar gum, and xanthan gum were added to improve the physical stability and sensory quality of the drink. Fructo‐oligosaccharide improved the taste as well as enhancement in the probiotic count was recorded. Guar gum successfully improved the suspension stability of the drink. Resultant product showed a total dietary fiber, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, glycaemic index, and prebiotic score as 4.50 g, 55.28 mg GAE/100 ml, 34.61%, 46.005, and 1.75, respectively. It also provided a probiotic count of 9.70 log CFU/ml and shelf stability up to 2 weeks under refrigerated conditions without any comprise in the quality. The resulting beverage may serve as a nutritious and health beneficial alternative to the existing lactose‐intolerant and protein allergic, dairy‐based beverages. Novelty impact statement: The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that 30–50 million Americans are lactose intolerant. Hence, a functional nondairy probiotic beverage being a potential source of antioxidants, dietary fiber, and low glycaemic (GI < 55) may serve as an alternative to the people prone to milk allergies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]