Processing conditions were standardized for a carbonated sweetened fermented dairy beverage. The optimum level of carbonation for the beverage filled in 200 ml glass bottles was found to be at 50 psi pressure for 30 seconds. The beverage samples were stored under refrigerated conditions (7 °C) and evaluated at weekly intervals for their sensory, chemical and microbial quality. The uncarbonated control samples were found to keep well till 5 weeks of storage while the carbonated beverage was acceptable up to 12 weeks of storage. Carbonation did not significantly alter the pH of the beverage, while a marginal increase in titratable acidity was recorded for the carbonated samples. Carbonation was found to arrest the development of lipolysis and proteolysis in the beverage during storage. Microbiological investigations established the inhibition of yeast and mold growth due to dissolved CO2.
Keywords: Carbonation; Fermented milk; Quality; Shelf life.