Vol. 12, Issue 12 (2023)

Whey is a valuable by-product obtained during manufacture of cheese, chhana, paneer, casein and Shrikant in dairy industries and usually dumped because it has no value; on the other hand, the whey presents interesting nutritional value as food supplement and its discard is increasingly frowned upon by environmentalists. Whey has been considered as an important food medium for thousands of years. It is rich source of carbohydrates (Lactose 4-5%), minerals 0.60% (Ca, P, Na, Mg etc.), and whey proteins α lactalbumin (22% of whey protein), β- lactoglobulin (59% of whey protein), serum albumin-6%of whey protein) and water-soluble vitamin i.e., B complex.

The conversion of whey into beverages through fermentation or without fermentation is one of the most attractive avenues for the utilization of whey for human consumption. Beverages based on fruit and milk products are currently receiving considerable attention as their market potential is growing. Besides being delicious, these beverages are highly nutritious.

Pomegranate is a well-known fruit for its nutritional composition as well as for its medicinal properties. Pomegranate is full of vitamin E (anti-oxidants), which helps to combat many diseases and also enhances the immune system. It is an abundant source of magnesium.

Pomegranate juice has strong anti-bacterial and antimicrobial properties which help fight viruses and bacteria and boost our immunity system. It significantly reduces microbes that are found in the mouth commonly responsible for cavities and staph infections. Anemia is a condition caused by the deficiency of red blood cells in the body. Since Pomegranate juice contains ample amount of iron it helps in surmounting a deficit of red blood cells in the body Whey beverages are suitable for wide range of consumers from children to the oldest ones. Whey have not only high nutritive value but also have good therapeutic characteristics. Incorporation of pomegranate juice in whey beverage can enhance the nutritional and therapeutic value for it. Hence considering these points in a view, the effort has been made to prepare the pomegranate-based whey beverage from cow and goat milk. During the phage of investigation, optimization of ingredients viz. selection of level of pomegranate juice and selection of level of sugar for pomegranate-based whey beverage preparation were carried out.

During optimization study it was found that when pomegranate juice was added in different concentration and sugar was added in different percentage exerted a significant (p<0.05) difference on all the sensory attributes under study. The overall acceptability score for all treatments were 7.73±0.01, 7.93±0.01, 7.63±0.03, 7.94±0.02, 8.13±0.01, 7.84±0.02, 6.40±0.06, 6.52±0.03, 6.33±0.01 respectively and maximum score was obtained for pomegranate-based whey beverage prepared using pomegranate juice used @14 percent and sugar @ 8 percent.