The development of a soy-saskatoon smoothie prototype using Manitoba soy beans and small berries will allow Manitoba and Canadian consumers to enjoy a non-dairy based beverage with a rich nutritional profile. the development work confirmed that regular yogurt culture in combination with other lactic acid bacteria could be used to ferment soymilk into a semi-solid curd without whey separation occurring. A soy yogurt (sogurt) was developed as an ingredient for the smoothie in this project. The final prototype was obtained by blending soy yogurt made from defatted soymilk with juices (Saskatoon, sour cherry and black currant), gums, white grape juice concentrate and vitamin mineral premix. The final product was low in fat, low in saturated fat, high in iron, very high in calcium and it was a source of fiber. Nutritional analysis and a preliminary one month shelf-life study at refrigeration temperature were conducted on the chosen prototype. Ten panelists evaluated the final product on the sweetness, acidity level, flavour balance, creaminess and overall acceptability on a four-point scale at FDC. The panelists described the soy-saskatoon smoothie developed in this project as having a good balance of sweetness and acidity level, smooth texture with a balanced fruity flavour.
