Effect of oil substitution with inulin on qualitative properties of date bread and the survival of Bacillus coagulans

The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of replacing the oil with inulin in date bread and production of a functional food product called "synbiotic date bread" in the presence of probiotic bacteria Bacillus coagulans. For this purpose, date bread was produced by 10 and 20 percent of oil replacement with inulin. Sensory properties, texture and moisture content of the samples were evaluated. The results showed that samples containing 20% inulin is desirable and the presence of inulin has retained moisture during cooking and storage, reduced stiffness and improved the taste of the samples. Addition of inulin to samples did not cause significant changes in their color. In the next stage, date bread was prepared with 20% inulin and Bacillus coagulans. After cooking and storage of samples at ambient temperature, they were evaluated in terms of the survival of the probiotic bacteria at 1, 60 and 120 days of post-production. In samples containing inulin, the least decrease in the number of Bacillus coagulans was observed.