Preliminary investigation of yoghurt enriched with hazelnut milk

The present work aimed to investigate the use of hazelnut milk (HM) with dairy milk in the preparation of yoghurt. Cow milk (CM) mixed with HM (75:25, v/v) was used as the raw material for HM-enriched yoghurt (HMEY). The control sample was prepared with CM only. The proximate composition, physicochemical and sensorial properties, and fatty acid and sterol compositions were determined. The proximate composition of the HMEY samples was found to be compatible with dairy yoghurt. The HMEY samples were rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (mainly oleic acid), whereas the control sample had a higher level of saturated fatty acids. The HMEY samples had a lower cholesterol content than the control sample. They also contained phytosterols (mainly β-sitosterol). These findings reveal that HM might have a potential in yoghurt manufacturing, and that the use of HM might enhance the health benefits of yoghurt especially in sustaining cardiovascular health.