Effect of acacia (Robinia pseudo-acacia L.) honey on the characteristic microflora of yogurt during refrigerated storage.

The primary purpose of this research was to monitor the influence of acacia honey addition to yogurt milk on survival of the microbial flora of yogurt during refrigerated storage for 6 wk. Results showed that the presence of honey at 1.0% to 5.0% (w/v) did not significantly influence (P>0.05) the viability of characteristic microorganisms (i.e., Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus) in yogurt during storage at 4 degrees C. Similarly, honey had no effect on pH and lactic acid levels of the final products. Despite these findings, enrichment of yogurt with honey is recommended because honey is a natural sweetener that possesses a wide range of beneficial nutritional properties. In addition, at a rate of approximately 3.0% (w/v), it highly improves the sensory quality of the finished product without having a detrimental effect on characteristic lactic acid bacteria.