Dairy products with prebiotics: An overview of the health benefits, technological and sensory properties

This review presents the general aspects of prebiotic components and summarises the health benefits associated with the consumption of dairy products with prebiotics, as well as the impact of their addition on the quality parameters of the products. The consumption of dairy products with prebiotics was associated with anti-diabetic and anti-hypertensive properties, and improvements in the blood lipid profile, immunity, and intestinal health. The prebiotic components could be used as fat replacers in dairy products, resulting in non-fat products with rheological, physicochemical, and sensory properties similar to the full-fat products. The effect of prebiotic addition on the technological properties of the dairy products was dependent on the food matrix, prebiotic type, and prebiotic concentration, however, improvements in the quality properties were observed for ice creams, cheeses, yoghurts, whey beverages, processed cheese, and dairy dessert. More studies with clinical trials are needed to prove the health effects. This review presents the general aspects of prebiotic components and summarises the health benefits associated with the consumption of dairy products with prebiotics, as well as the impact of their addition on the quality parameters of the products. The consumption of dairy products with prebiotics was associated with anti-diabetic and anti-hypertensive properties, and improvements in the blood lipid profile, immunity, and intestinal health. The prebiotic components could be used as fat replacers in dairy products, resulting in non-fat products with rheological, physicochemical, and sensory properties similar to the full-fat products. The effect of prebiotic addition on the technological properties of the dairy products was dependent on the food matrix, prebiotic type, and prebiotic concentration, however, improvements in the quality properties were observed for ice creams, cheeses, yoghurts, whey beverages, processed cheese, and dairy dessert. More studies with clinical trials are needed to prove the health effects. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This review discusses the general aspects of prebiotic components, health benefits of consuming dairy products with prebiotics, and the impact of prebiotic addition on product quality parameters. Consumption of dairy products with prebiotics is linked to improvements in blood lipid profile, immunity, and intestinal health, as well as potential use as fat replacers. The effectiveness of prebiotic addition on dairy product technological properties depends on factors like food matrix, prebiotic type, and concentration, leading to quality improvements in various dairy products.