Lentil flour was not only selected as a supplement for its
technological and sensory properties, but also for its nutritional
benefits. Indeed, a noteworthy trend in recent times is the addition of
prebiotics for the improvement of the nutritional properties of yogurt
and fermented dairy products. Some plant-based matrices are very
rich in prebiotic compounds and inulin-containing chicory is probably
the best example of this. There is great economic interest in finding
other prebiotic-rich food matrices. Preliminary data (unpublished)
suggest that probiotic lactobacilli grow better in milk supplemented
with lentil flour, thus suggesting a prebiotic potential. Lentil contains
high amount of protein, fibre, vitamins (e.g., folate) and minerals and
is low in fat. Canada's lentil production reached 674,000 tonnes in
year 2007, placing Canada as the second largest producer in the world.
Despite this, Canadian lentil consumption remains low (i.e., 0.6 kg/
capita/year)(FAO, 2008) Lentil may serve as a good source of nutrients
for the yogurt starter culture. The effect of yogurt supplementation
with lentil flour on growth of the yoghurt cultures has, however,
not been considered previously. With its high protein and fiber content,
addition of lentil flour to yogurt may alter the physical properties
of the final supplemented yogurt formula and thus requires
investigation.