Effect of Container Type on the Physicochemical, Structural and Sensory Stability of Dahi during Refrigerated Storage
Priyanka Arya
Department of Food Processing and Technology, School of Vocational Studies and Applied Sciences, Gautam Buddha University, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Shubham Gangwar *
Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Agriculture, GBPUA&T, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, India.
Devina Vaidya
Department of Food Science and Technology, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India.
Sunita Devi
Department of Basic Sciences (Microbiology), Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India.
Manisha Kaushal
Department of Food Science and Technology, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Container material can influence fermented-dairy quality during both fermentation and subsequent refrigerated storage. Across five independent production batches, dahi was fermented in theki, clay pot, stainless-steel, plastic and aluminium containers and retained in the same containers at 4 ± 1 °C. Samples were evaluated on days 0, 7 and 14 for pH, titratable acidity, dry matter, water-holding capacity (WHC), syneresis, viscosity, instrumental texture, near-infrared (NIR)-estimated composition and sensory characteristics. Across storage, mean pH decreased from 4.45 to 4.31, titratable acidity increased from 0.62 to 0.84%, WHC decreased from 63.42 to 61.71%, syneresis increased from 10.79 to 12.93%, and viscosity decreased from 893.34 to 853.04 cP. Firmness and cohesiveness decreased, whereas adhesiveness increased numerically. Protein, fat and ash changed little, whereas lactose showed a clearer numerical decline. Theki-stored dahi had the highest mean dry matter (18.70 g/100 g), WHC (64.31%) and viscosity (913.93 cP), the lowest mean syneresis (10.47%), and comparatively limited acid development. Overall acceptability declined in all treatments but remained highest numerically in theki, decreasing from 8.43 to 8.03. The combined profile indicates container-associated differences in quality over the fermentation-and-storage system, with theki showing the most stable descriptive pattern. Because the same test containers were used during fermentation and storage, phase-specific container effects cannot be separated, and mechanistic interpretations require targeted confirmation.
Keywords: Container type, dahi, fermentation vessel, refrigerated storage, physicochemical stability, sensory quality