Initial Characterization of Bifidus Milk Quality with Different Starter Levels of Bifidobacterium longum

A study on the initial characterization of bifidus milk quality with a different level of Bifidobacterium longum was conducted to find out the best starter level that is able to produce bifidus milk that meets the characteristics of a healthy drink. The design use in this study consisting of 4 treatments (starter level) that are 1% (L1), 3% (L2), 5% (L3), and 7% (L4) with four replications for each treatment, thus 16 experimental units were obtained. Furthermore, the parameters measured were the degree of acidity (pH), total lactic acid, protein content, total plate count, and syneresis. The resulting data were statistically analyzed using ANOVA and Duncan’s multiple range test (DMRT) was performed if there was a difference. Results showed that the starting concentration had no effect on pH and total lactate, whereas had a highly significant effect on TPC and protein content (P < 0.01). However, all values are still within the range of Indonesian National Standards. Therefore, based on the results obtained, it is recommended that the highest quality bifidobacteria milk is indicated by pH, lactate content, protein, and total plate count obtained by L1 (1% starter) 3.84, 1.22, 4.92, and 8.40 respectively