Vol. 8, Issue 9, Part P (2024)

Lassi, a traditional fermented dairy drink, is prepared by blending fermented milk with water and sugar. It is recognized for its health benefits and nutritional value, often used to treat diarrhea, dysentery, gastrointestinal issues, and jaundice. However, its high caloric and sugar content can be problematic especially for diabetics and health-conscious individuals. This study focuses on developing and optimizing a dietetic and functional variant of Lassi using buffalo skim milk, incorporating multifunctional ingredients such as coconut water, inulin, pumpkin seed powder, lutein, and vitamin D₃, while entirely replacing sugar with sucralose. The study employed Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD) of Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to optimize the levels of condensed coconut water, pumpkin seed powder, and sucralose based on sensory attributes, including taste, colour and appearance, body and texture (mouthfeel), odour, and overall acceptability. The optimal concentrations identified were 31.84% coconut water, 1.25% pumpkin seed powder, and 433.96 ppm sucralose, resulting in a highest desirability score of 90.1%. Additionally, lutein and vitamin D₃ were incorporated into the optimized Lassi, with their ideal concentrations determined to be 2 mg/100 ml and 400 IU/L, respectively, using the Kruskal-Wallis test. The sensory evaluation were carried out with the help of a panel of six trained judges using nine point hedonic scale. This final product aims to provide a nutritious and appealing alternative for health-conscious consumers.