Mitigation of undesirable volatile aroma compounds in kefir by freeze drying and vacuum evaporation

Commercial kefir was recently found to be effective in curing recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection when consumed alongside antibiotic treatment. However, kefir products have limited acceptance among Western consumers due to their characteristic flavor and texture. Plain, unsweetened commercial kefir with 1% milkfat was subjected to vacuum evaporation and freeze‐drying processes to assess the effect on volatile organic compound concentration, sensory quality, and microbial viability. Vacuum evaporation and freeze‐drying both significantly decreased the concentration of 26 out of 27 volatiles in the kefir (p