Vol. 7, Issue 7, Part G (2025)

Functional flavoured milk was developed by incorporating bael powder in milk. To determine the optimal formulation, levels of bael powder varying from 1-4 and sugar 7-9 percent was employed, using Response Surface Methodology a statistical tool. The optimization process was based on sensory characteristics such as colour and appearance, flavour, consistency/mouthfeel, sedimentation and overall acceptability of the product. RSM optimization yielded ideal proportions of 3.13 percent bael powder and 7.82 percent sugar. The formulation prepared using these optimized values were compared to control flavoured milk containing cocoa in place of bael powder. The experimental formulation had notably higher protein content (3.51%), titratable acidity (0.18%LA), viscosity (25.2 cP), tyrosine values (230.23 µg tyrosine/5 ml), DPPH radical scavenging activity (89.63 percent inhibition) and total phenolic content (1.32 mg GAE/g) compared with control flavoured milk sample. Sensory evaluations revealed that the bael enriched flavoured milk outperformed the control in overall acceptability.