ORGANOLEPTIC ANALYSIS OF YOGURT WITH BANANA ADDITION AND STEVIA SWEETENERS

Food product consumers today expect to benefit from the nutritional value of certain food products; hence, the products are often referred to as functional food. Yogurt is a functional food product obtained from fermented milk. Various yogurt products were developed to meet nutritional needs without having negative effects on the body. This study assesses the quality of yogurt produced after adding a kepok banana (Musa paradisiaca formatypical) and stevia sweetener. In this study, yogurt was made by fermenting cow's milk with Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophillus bacterial starters for four to eight hours at 42 0 C. Stevia sweetener and flavourings from kepok banana were then added. The results showed that both the lactic acid and pH of the yogurt met the Indonesian national quality standards for yogurt. Organoleptic testing showed that most panellists liked the product. Hedonic values for colour, texture, aroma, and taste were 4.05; 4.35; 4.3; and 4.4, respectively.