Whey and toned milk was effectively used for the development of tea whitener. Cheese whey was concentrated to 12% solids in a vacuum evaporator, pasteurized at 72℃±2℃ for 15 s, diluted back to 11.5% solids and was cold blended with toned milk of 11.5% solids in three ratios viz. 25:75, 50:50 and 75:25 and selected blends were homogenized at 1200-1500 psi. Tea was prepared by adding 80 mL whitener to 100 mL decoction and addition of sugar at 8% (w/v). The tea whitener was selected based on the sensory attributes of tea beverages. The colour of the beverages, tea whiteners and decoction were analyzed by reflectance meter and computer vision image analysis technique. The viscosity of the beverage was tested using a Brookfield viscometer. Coffee stability test was done to assess the stability of tea whitener under acidic conditions. Standard plate count, Coliform count and Presumptive Coliform test were done to assess the microbiological quality of the whitener. Homogenization had a positive impact on the viscosity and colour. The reflectance value of tea prepared from 25% homogenised whey milk blend and toned milk were in the range of 43-46 and 45-49, respectively. The viscosity of tea was found to increase with homogenization and whey levels. The sedimentation values of 25% whey blends and toned milk were 1.25 mL and 1 mL respectively. The shelf life of the blends was 2 days under refrigerated conditions. It can be concluded that a satisfactory tea whitener can be prepared by blending whey with toned milk in 25:75 proportion followed by homogenization.
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