Abstract
The influence of sucrose ester (SE) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) on the physical properties of coconut milk was determined using response surface methodology based on central composite design. The R (2) of all response variables was more than 0.80 which indicated a high proportion of variability was explained by the model and showed that increasing the amount of SE decreased the droplet size of coconut milk. The viscosity and creaming index were dependent on the SE and CMC concentration. Increasing the SE and CMC concentration increased viscosity but creaming index was decreased. The results suggested that suitable amount of SE and CMC should be specified in order to obtain a high quality of coconut milk products.