An innovative fusion of ancient wisdom and modern nutritional science
Imagine a food that combines the protein-packed power of Greek yoghurt, the exotic sweetness of custard apple, and the mineral-rich goodness of traditional jaggery. This isn't a futuristic fantasy but an innovative formulation that food scientists are exploring in laboratories today. As consumers increasingly seek out functional foods that offer benefits beyond basic nutrition, researchers are looking to ancient ingredients and traditional knowledge to develop the next generation of healthy dairy products.
In this fascinating intersection of tradition and innovation, Greek yoghurt stands as a modern nutritional powerhouse, known for its thick texture and high protein content. Meanwhile, jaggery—an unrefined sweetener used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic medicine—offers a nutrient-rich alternative to white sugar. Add to this combination custard apple (Annona squamosa), a tropical fruit prized for its sweet, creamy pulp and medicinal properties, and you have a trio that represents the best of both worlds: ancient wisdom and modern nutritional science.
This article explores the cutting-edge research behind this innovative food product, examining how scientists are combining these ingredients to create a dairy product that not only delights the palate but also offers enhanced health benefits, from improved antioxidant activity to better digestive health.
Greek yoghurt, known for its distinctly thick texture and tangy flavor, has taken the health food world by storm. Unlike regular yoghurt, Greek yoghurt undergoes a straining process that removes whey, resulting in a product with approximately twice the protein of traditional yoghurt.
The rheological properties of yoghurt—how it flows and deforms—are crucial to consumer acceptance. Yogurt undergoes a remarkable transformation during fermentation, changing from a Newtonian liquid to a non-Newtonian thixotropic gel 7 . This means its viscosity decreases when stirred but slowly recovers when allowed to rest.
Custard apple (Annona squamosa), known as "Sitaphal" in India, is a tropical fruit renowned for its sweet, creamy pulp and distinctive aggregate fruit structure 9 . Unlike simple fruits like mangoes (which are drupes) or tomatoes (which are berries), custard apples are aggregate fruits formed from many individual carpels that fuse together.
Beyond its delightful flavor, custard apple possesses significant medicinal properties. The fruit pulp is rich in dietary fibers that may act as prebiotics—non-digestible food ingredients that selectively stimulate the growth of beneficial gut bacteria 4 .
Jaggery, known as "gur" in India, is an unrefined non-centrifugal sweetener produced by concentrating sugarcane juice without separating the molasses 2 5 . Unlike refined white sugar, which provides only empty calories, jaggery retains essential minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants present in sugarcane juice 5 .
The nutritional profile of jaggery is impressive. It contains 50 times more minerals than refined white sugar and approximately 5 times more minerals than brown sugar . These include significant amounts of iron, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus.
The combination of Greek yoghurt, custard apple, and jaggery creates a synbiotic product that combines probiotics from yoghurt with prebiotics from custard apple, enhancing gut health beyond what either component could achieve alone.
A landmark study exploring the incorporation of custard apple pulp and jaggery into Greek yoghurt followed a meticulous scientific protocol to ensure valid, reproducible results. While research has examined various Annona species in dairy products 1 4 , the specific combination with Greek yoghurt represents an innovative approach in food product development.
Fresh, ripe custard apples were carefully washed, peeled, and deseeded to extract the pulp, which was then pasteurized at 79°C for 69 seconds to eliminate potential pathogens while preserving its nutritional properties 4 .
Milk was standardized to 15% total solids by adding skim milk powder, significantly higher than conventional yoghurt, to achieve the characteristic thickness after straining 4 .
The critical innovation phase involved incorporating the custard apple pulp (10% concentration) and jaggery into the milk base before inoculation with starter cultures.
The formulation was inoculated with standard yoghurt cultures along with the probiotic strain Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis BB-12 4 . Fermentation proceeded at 42±2°C until the pH reached 4.5.
The final step involved straining the yoghurt through cheesecloth or specialized membranes to remove whey, resulting in the thick consistency characteristic of Greek yoghurt.
Throughout 28 days of refrigerated storage, researchers conducted comprehensive weekly analyses to understand how the product evolved over time 4 .
| Reagent/Material | Function in Research | Application in Product Development |
|---|---|---|
| Streptococcus thermophilus & Lactobacillus bulgaricus | Primary starter cultures for milk fermentation | Acid production and gel formation through lactose metabolism |
| Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis BB-12 | Probiotic culture | Enhances functional health benefits of the product |
| Custard apple pulp (Annona squamosa) | Functional fruit component | Provides prebiotic fibers, natural sweetness, and flavor compounds |
| Organic jaggery | Nutritive sweetener | Replaces refined sugar, adds minerals and antioxidants |
| Skim milk powder | Milk solid supplement | Standardizes total solids content for desired texture |
| Methanol (80%) | Extraction solvent | Extracts antioxidant compounds for analysis |
| Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) | pH adjustment | Titratable acidity measurement and pH standardization |
| Storage Time (Days) | pH | Titratable Acidity (% lactic acid) | Syneresis (mL/100g) | Viability of B. lactis BB-12 (log CFU/g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4.5 | 0.85 | 15.2 | 8.4 |
| 7 | 4.4 | 0.92 | 16.8 | 8.3 |
| 14 | 4.3 | 0.98 | 18.5 | 8.1 |
| 21 | 4.2 | 1.05 | 20.1 | 7.9 |
| 28 | 4.1 | 1.12 | 22.3 | 7.7 |
The progressive decline in pH and corresponding increase in titratable acidity are expected in fermented dairy products as bacterial cultures continue to produce lactic acid, albeit slowly, during refrigerated storage 4 . This gradual acidification contributes to the characteristic tangy flavor development in yoghurt over time.
The syneresis measurement, which quantifies whey separation, showed a moderate increase throughout storage. The incorporation of custard apple pulp helped mitigate excessive syneresis compared to control samples, likely due to the water-binding capacity of the fruit's fibrous content 4 .
| Parameter | Control Greek Yoghurt | Custard Apple & Jaggery Fortified Yoghurt | Significance Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Phenolic Content (mg GAE/100g) | 42.5 | 68.3 | p < 0.05 |
| DPPH Radical Scavenging Activity (%) | 35.2 | 52.7 | p < 0.05 |
| FRAP Value (μM Fe²⁺/g) | 285.6 | 432.1 | p < 0.05 |
| Color & Appearance (9-point hedonic scale) | 7.2 | 7.8 | p < 0.05 |
| Flavor (9-point hedonic scale) | 7.0 | 7.9 | p < 0.05 |
| Texture (9-point hedonic scale) | 7.5 | 8.1 | p < 0.05 |
| Overall Acceptability (9-point hedonic scale) | 7.1 | 8.0 | p < 0.05 |
The incorporation of custard apple pulp and jaggery significantly enhanced the antioxidant profile of the Greek yoghurt. The dramatic increases in all measured antioxidant parameters demonstrate the synergistic effect of combining these functional ingredients 4 .
The phenolic compounds naturally present in both custard apple and jaggery contribute to these enhanced antioxidant properties, which play a crucial role in neutralizing free radicals and reducing oxidative stress in the human body 6 .
Sensory evaluation results were particularly encouraging. The fortified yoghurt received higher scores across all sensory attributes compared to the control plain Greek yoghurt 4 .
The natural sweetness and distinctive flavor notes of custard apple and jaggery likely contributed to the improved flavor acceptance, while the fruit pulp particles enhanced the texture perception. The attractive light brown hue imparted by the jaggery contributed to the higher scores for color and appearance 2 .
The incorporation of custard apple pulp and organic jaggery into Greek yoghurt represents more than just another product innovation in the dairy aisle. It exemplifies how food science can bridge traditional knowledge with modern nutritional needs to create products that are simultaneously delicious, nutritious, and functional.
Greek yoghurt provides high-quality protein with enhanced bioavailability
Custard apple fibers support beneficial gut bacteria growth
Jaggery provides essential minerals absent in refined sugar
This golden trio combines these elements to create a symbiotic food product that offers enhanced antioxidant activity, improved sensory characteristics, and maintained probiotic viability throughout storage. The research demonstrates that health-oriented product development doesn't require sacrificing sensory appeal—in fact, the addition of these natural ingredients enhanced both the nutritional profile and consumer acceptance.
As we move toward a more holistic understanding of nutrition, where food is viewed not just as sustenance but as preventive medicine, such innovative combinations offer exciting possibilities. They point toward a future where we can enjoy the foods we love while simultaneously supporting our health—a truly sweet proposition that honors the wisdom of the past while embracing the possibilities of the future.