12-4 |
Partial sugar replacement in orange beverages: When can consumers tell? |
C. A. VANDONGEN, Sensory Evaluation, Nutrinova, Inc., 285 Davidson Ave., Ste. 102, Somerset, NJ 08873 and W. E. Riha, III, Food & Beverage Technology, Nutrinova Inc., 285 Davidson Ave., Ste. 102, Somerset, NJ 08873. There are numerous benefits to replacing part of the sugar in a beverage with a high intensity sweetener or a high intensity sweetener blend. The primary benefits of partial sugar replacement for consumers are taste and calorie reduction. Reduced calorie beverages can be formulated to match the taste of their full-calorie/full-sugar counterparts. To manufacturers, the three benefits of partial sugar replacement are lower costs, ease of handling, and flexibility to deliver more innovative products to consumers. Although sugar replacement in beverages is very common and accepted by consumers in the U.K., the success of this concept in the U.S. will be, in part, determined by the focus of this research: Can U.S. consumers perceive a difference in the taste of partial sugar replacement vs. full-sugar products? The present study focused on identifying the point at which partial sugar replacement is perceptible on a sensory basis. Five high intensity sweeteners, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, and neotame, were used as single sweeteners and in blends to replace 20%-70% of the sucrose in an orange still drink or 20%-70% of HFCS in an orange carbonated soda. A series of triangle tests were completed with a sample of trained flavor profile panelists and experienced assessors that showed that 25%-40% of the sugar can be replaced by a single high intensity sweetener with the sample being indistinguishable from the all-sugar sample. For blends of sweeteners, 40%-60% of the sugar can be replaced without changing the beverage’s sensory profile. Follow-up work with consumers showed that up to 50% of the sugar can be replaced in a beverage without the consumers being able to discriminate the partial sugar replacement beverage from the all-sugar-sweetened beverage. These results show the sensory feasiblity of replacing part of the sugar in beverages using blends of high intensity sweeteners.
Session 12, Sensory Evaluation: Methods and consumer testing
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