PHYSICAL, RHEOLOGICAL AND SENSORY PROPERTIES OF NON-ALCOHOLIC MALT BEVERAGE FORMULATED WITH DATE SYRUP

Abstract

Non-alcoholic malt beverage is popular in many countries in particular in Muslim countries which alcoholic beverages are banned. This beverage is usually prepared in a manner similar to beer, but excluding fermentation and it is generally produced using barley malt. In this study, malt beverage sweetened with 0: 100, 25: 75, 50: 50, 75: 25 and 100: 0 ratios of date syrup to sucrose and their physicochemical, rheological and sensory properties were evaluated during six months of refrigerated storage. According to results pH and Brix were not changed and significant difference (p<0.05) was observed in reducing sugar, color and viscosity compared with the control. Based on our findings increasing the proportion of date syrup in beverages could elevate reducing sugar. The amount of total sugar was significantly different in the samples with 75%, 50% and 25% but not in the sample with 100% date syrup. From the sensory aspect, malt beverage with 75% date syrup exhibited the highest overall acceptability. In overall, beverages formulated with date syrup had a desirable characteristics and malt beverage with 75% date syrup was the best formula from both the technological and sensory aspects.