EFFECTS OF HYDROCOLLOIDS AND ASPARTAME ON SENSORY VISCOSITY AND SWEETNESS OF LOW CALORIE PEACH NECTARS

Effects were studied of interactions between each of three hydrocolloids-xanthan gum, guar gum and methylcellulose- and aspartame on sweetness intensity and sensory viscosity of low-calorie peach nectars (60% fruit purée with no sucrose added). The flows of the nectars were characterized as near Newtonian without hydrocolloids, as Bingham plastic at lower hydrocolloids concentrations and as pseudoplastic at higher concentrations (Ostwald flow for guar and methylcellulose, and Herschel-Bulkley for xanthan). Hydrocolloids concentrations were selected to cover viscosity range of commercial whole nectars: 0.10 and 0.20% xanthan or guar, and 0.15 and 0.30% methylcellulose. Aspartame concentrations tested were derived from the calculation of equisweet concentration as referred to a control nectar sample with sucrose (14°Brix) and of the upper and lower limen value: 0.216, 0.360 (equisweet), 0.502, and 0.644 g/L. Addition of either guar or methylcellulose did not alter the perceived sweetness in aspartame-sweetened peach nectars. Xanthan addition, even at 0.10%, significantly lowered sweetness of samples sweetened with the highest aspartame concentration (0.644 g/L). Addition of aspartame did not modify the perceived viscosity in samples thickened with either xanthan or guar gums. At all methylcellulose concentrations tested, samples with the lowest aspartame concentration (0.216 g/L) were perceived as less viscous.