Introduction: Today, the demand of consumers for using healthier foods that are useful in the treatment and prevention of diseases has increased. The food industry's focus on such pragmatic foods has led to a new generation of products with a new level of beneficial compounds. Also, due to the low intake of essential fatty acids and antioxidants in the daily diet, it is necessary to compensate by consuming foods containing these compounds. In society today, mixed drinks have a special place. Therefore, this study aimed to produce a new beneficial drink using the walnut kernel, based on whey powder and inulin.
Methods: For this purpose, the formulation of this drink includes walnut kernel (3, 5 and 7%), whey powder (5, 10 and 15% by weight) and inulin as a prebiotic and sensory properties improver (0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 % by weight) was optimized for physicochemical properties (degree brix, viscosity, pH and dry matter) and sensory properties (taste, texture and general acceptance) by the response surface methodology.
Results: The study of physicochemical properties showed a high effect of whey powder on the viscosity of the produced beverage and a decreasing effect of walnut kernel on the pH and increasing it on the brix of the produced beverages. The results showed the high importance of whey powder in most sensory properties. Also, whey powder-inulin interaction was recognized as the most important interaction in the analysis of interactions on sensory properties.
Conclusion: In general, the results showed that the product containing 5% whey powder, 7% walnut kernel and 0.3% inulin had the best result in terms of physicochemical properties and sensory properties.