Nutritional, rheological, sensory characteristics and environmental impact of a yogurt-like dairy drink for children enriched with lupin flour

Studies have demonstrated that the addition of pulses to foods can make them more nutritious. We hypothesize that lupin flour adds nutritional benefits to yogurts. This study aimed to characterize a lupin-enriched yogurt in nutritional, rheological, and sensorial terms by a trained panel, and assess its environmental impact using the life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. For comparison, natural yogurt and a commercial formula were used as controls. The developed yogurt is “high in protein” (7g/100g), “source of fiber” (1.9g/100g), and “source of omega 3” (53 mg/100g). The lupin yogurt was the stiffest with the highest viscosity than controls according to rheological parameters. There were no significant sensory differences between the lupin-enriched yogurt and the controls, although some undesirable sensory characteristics such as bitterness, granularity, and after-taste were observed. The environmental impact per 100 g serving was similar to natural yogurt and slightly worse regarding commercial yogurt but better when expressed per Nutritional Density Unit (NDU). Using lupin flour to enrich yogurts for children can be an alternative to producing more nutritious products.