LAUSR

Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the sensory characteristics of commercial drinkable yogurt products and their microbial communities. A metagenomic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing and a descriptive sensory analysis using a highly trained panel were carried out on six commercially available drinkable yogurts from Korea. A metagenomic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that Streptococcus thermophilus, a member of Streptococcaceae, was dominant (67–98%), followed by Lactobacillus delbrueckii (0–12% in concentration) compared to other bacterial population. The differences in the sensory characteristics of the drinkable yogurts were observed (p  Industrial relevance text In this study, predominant microbiota associated with commonly consumed plain drinkable yogurt products in Korea was identified as Streptococcus thermophilus, followed by Lactobacillus delbrueckii. The results of this study can add valuable insights to the fermented dairy food industry by providing sensory characteristics associated with specific microbiota. Dairy processors who are producing fermented milk products can utilize this information for selecting starter cultures to produce the yogurt products with desirable aroma characteristics.