Sensory evaluation of selected plant-based milks and drinks

Introduction and purpose of work: Milk is a product that accompanies man from the first days of life. Due to the richness of minerals and vitamins, milk and dairy products should be introduced into the diet, as they have many health-promoting properties. In addition to traditional cow's milk, lactose-free milk and vegetable milk substitutes are available on the food market. The aim of the study was the sensory evaluation of selected milks and plant-based drinks available on the Polish market. Material and methods: The research material consisted of 7 types of milk, including 2 cow's milk and 5 plant milks of one of the brands available on the Polish market. 51 students of clinical dietetics (21 first-cycle students and 30 second-cycle students) joined the study. The taste of the products was assessed using a proprietary sensory evaluation card. A 5-point scale was adopted as the evaluation value. In addition, the ability to identify the type of milk through the sense of taste was tested. Results: Milk and vegetable drinks, according to the respondents, differed significantly due to sensory assessment. The milk samples that received the highest number of points contained the vegetable rice drink and lactose-free cow's milk (sample "B" and "F"). In contrast, the plant-based almond drink (sample "D") was rated the worst in taste. The greatest difficulty in identification occurred in the case of samples with code B and D (rice vegetable drink and almond vegetable drink). Conclusions: The almond plant drink was chosen as the least tasty by the vast majority of the respondents. On the other hand, the coconut vegetable drink had the best taste. Second-cycle students were more likely to identify samples correctly