Effects of different milk substitutes on the pasting, rheological and textural properties of puddings

Puddings are usually milk protein-based starch pastes, but the use of milk substitutes in their preparation could be interesting for people suffering of lactose intolerance and milk allergies. The study investigated the pasting, rheological, and textural behaviors of two commercial pudding powders (A and B) dissolved in rice drink, light soy drink, partially skimmed milk or deionized water. Samples were evaluated during both the preparation (heating and cooling phases) and the storage over a 3 day refrigeration period. Generally, the properties of soy drink-based puddings were similar to those of the reference samples, while the characteristics of rice drink-based products were comparable to those of the water systems. The two commercial powders, apparently similar in formulation, exhibited dramatic differences both in the pasting and rheological behaviors. The gel settling took place mainly during the heating phase for sample A and during the cooling period for sample B, probably due to the different starch and carrageenan types present in the powders. This aspect could be also responsible for the different textural behavior of the puddings during the storage period: powder B dissolved in rice drink and water gave stiffer products in comparison with powder A dispersed in the same media.