Creaminess in relation to consistency and particle size in stirred fat-free yogurt

Stirred yogurts with the same chemical composition but prepared using different procedures had different gel particle diameters and different rheological characteristics. Sensorial evaluations were performed and compared with instrumental analyses. The smoothness perceived both visually and orally varied with the size of the particles of the stirred gels. For products with small particle sizes, the consistency was related to viscoelastic parameters. It was shown that products perceived as creamy were firm. When particle size was above 150 μm, it seemed impossible to perceive creaminess. Nevertheless, results obtained from two commercial products containing fat and starter showed that creaminess perception could not be reduced to simple relationships between gel firmness and particle size in the case of stirred gels.