Desenvolvimento de cápsulas de alginato para aplicação em produto lácteo

In the current food industry, finding truly probiotic foods can be a challenge, as many products are marketed with misleading claims on their labels and do not contain the adequate amount of microorganisms. According to legislation, fermented milks must contain at least 10⁷ colony-forming units per gram (CFU/g) of viable microorganisms. This study aimed to produce yogurt enriched with the probiotic microorganisms Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus using calcium alginate capsules derived from fruit pulps. Various pulps were tested, as pH and viscosity influence capsule formation. The capsules were prepared by the extrusion method, which involves dripping the sodium alginate dispersion into a calcium lactate dispersion, resulting in the immediate formation of capsules. Strawberry pulp proved to be the most effective in terms of spherification and sensory acceptability, and was chosen for the final experiment. However, the viable cell count in the capsules was below expectations. After 5 days of storage, there was a decrease in the number of microorganisms, reaching a value of 7,5x10³ CFU/g. The high sugar concentration in the strawberry pulp may have been a limiting factor, as media with high sugar content can hinder the survival of microorganisms. It is suggested to conduct future tests producing the capsules with milk, which can provide lactose to the microorganisms, evaluating the growth and viability levels over time, aiming to reach the ideal number of microorganisms required by legislation.