Concentration dependent effects of dextran on the physical properties of acid milk gels

The effect of dextran from Leuconostoc mesenteroides (DEX500), added to milk prior to acidification with glucono-δ-lactone (GDL) or Streptococcus thermophilus DSM20259, was studied with respect to polysaccharide concentration. The incorporation of 5-30 g/kg DEX500 significantly affected gelation behavior. Increasing DEX500 concentrations resulted in a linear increase of gel stiffness (GDL gels: R(2)=0.96; microbial acidification: R(2)=0.94; P<0.05) and 30 g/kg DEX500 resulted in a 2-fold higher stiffness compared to gels without polysaccharide. The respective stirred gels depicted a significant reduction in syneresis, which decreased from 30.4% (0 g/kg DEX500) to 22.0% (30 g/kg DEX500) for chemically acidified gels after 1 d of storage. Physical characteristics of DEX500 in aqueous solution were helpful to explain its behavior in the complex system milk.