Patterns of sweet liking in sucrose solutions and beverages

While preferred levels of sweetness are known to differ across individuals, investigations of hedonic responses to sweetness across multiple concentrations in both model system and beverage are limited. The objective of this study was to classify people according to their preferred sweetness in sucrose solutions and beverages. The stimuli were water and flavored beverages, each containing five levels of sucrose. A total of 200 female subjects rated liking and intensity of sweetness for sucrose solutions, and they conducted paired preference tests using the Monell forced-choice, paired-comparison, tracking procedure. These tests were replicated for the beverage. These evaluations were conducted on two separate occasions, once while the subjects were hungry and once relatively sated. Hierarchical cluster analysis revealed three distinct clusters based on the hedonic ratings. Cluster 1 showed positive hedonic ratings with increased sucrose concentration in both systems. Cluster 2 showed positive ratings to sucrose increases in the beverage, but not in the sucrose solution. Cluster 3 showed an inverted-U shaped pattern. These patterns were confirmed by the result of the Monell test. Similar trends were observed when the subjects were asked to rate liking of chocolates and in ratings of preferences for commonly consumed sweet and savory food items.     

Dietary habits and the perception and liking of sweetness among Australian and Malaysian students: A cross-cultural study

This study examined whether the perception of, and preference for, varying levels of sucrose in water, orange juice, custard and biscuit were related to dietary intakes of sugar and sweet foods in 69 Caucasian Australian and 63 Malaysian university students living in Australia. The two ethnic groups were equally able to discriminate the relative differences in sucrose concentration among the test samples, and a similar percentage of each group were sweetness likers or dislikers. Some significant differences between the ethnic groups' sweetness intensity and preference ratings were observed, but the differences were food-specific and were not always apparent for the same sucrose level in the different test foods. Within each ethnic group, more subjects had greater difficulty discriminating different sucrose levels in a solid, high fat biscuit. The Australian group had higher mean liking ratings than the Malaysian group for the orange juice and biscuit samples. However, both groups preferred similar levels of sucrose in the juice, custard and biscuit, which were similar to the amounts of sucrose present in current commercial products. The hedonic response pattern to the sucrose solution was not a good predictor of the hedonic responses to the other test stimuli, which indicates that preferred levels of sweetness are food-specific. Sweetness intensity ratings were not significantly associated with any of the dietary intake variables or bitterness ratings to 6-n-propylthiouracil. However, subjects who preferred higher levels of sucrose in the test stimuli tended to have higher dietary intakes of sugar and sweet foods.     

Perception of Taste and Viscosity of Oil-in-Water and Water-in-Oil Emulsions

A trained panel performed sensory assessments of intensity of taste and viscosity of 50% oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions prepared with varied concentrations of sucrose, NaCl, or citric acid. No main effects of emulsion type occurred for taste intensity or slope of the tastant concentration – intensity relationships. NaCl and citric acid increased perceived viscosity of both emulsion types, and these effects were most pronounced in oil-in-water emulsions. The results are hypothesized as related to functions of saliva and breakdown of emulsion structure in the mouth.     

Enhancement of sweetness intensity in gels by inhomogeneous distribution of sucrose

Model systems consisting of layers of mixed agar/gelatin gel were used to investigate the effect of the spatial distribution of sucrose on perceived sweetness intensity. 2-Alternative forced choice tests were performed with consumers to compare the sweetness of layered samples with an inhomogeneous distribution of sucrose to the sweetness of a reference sample with a homogeneous distribution. All samples had the same overall sucrose concentration (10%) and similar mechanical and rheological properties. Inhomogeneous samples that had large concentration gradients of sucrose between layers were perceived sweeter than the homogeneous reference. No differences in sweetness were observed between the reference and samples with small concentration gradients of sucrose. Additionally, the position of the layers containing sucrose did not affect sweetness. Results showed that an inhomogeneous distribution of sucrose can be used to reduce sucrose content by 20% without a decrease in sweetness intensity.     

AGAR AND GELATIN GEL FLAVOR RELEASE

The taste suppression and rupture properties of 0.8-2.0% w/w agar gel and 3.0-6.5% w/w gelatin gel were studied by sensory evaluation and objective measurement. Flavor compound concentrations were determined to equalize the intensity of aspartame sweetness (0.02% w/w for both agar and gelatin gels), sodium chloride saltiness (0.9% w/w for agar gel and 0.2% w/w for gelatin gel), and caffeine bitterness (0.08% w/w for agar gel and 0.07% w/w for gelatin gel) in 1% w/w agar gel and 4.5% w/w gelatin gel. The coefficient of taste intensity = (concentration of flavor compound in the aqueous solution of equiintense taste in gel)/(concentration of flavor compound in gel) was used to compare the difference in gel taste suppression. The coefficient of saltiness intensity of 3.0% w/w gelatin gel exceeded 1.0, and those of other gels were below 1.0. The suppressed variation of the coefficient of saltiness intensity in agar gel was significantly (P<0.01) smaller than that of bitterness depending on agar concentration. No significant differences (P>0.05) in taste suppression between gelatin gels containing the 3 flavor compounds due to changes in gelatin concentration were observed. Rupture energy, which is related to mastication and is a common scale for agar and gelatin gels, was used to evaluate changes in suppression of the coefficient of taste intensities of the 2 gels. The coefficient of bitterness intensity of agar gels was more significantly (P<0.01) suppressed than sweetness and saltiness intensities of gelatin gels. The coefficient of sweetness intensity of gelatin gels was suppressed significantly less than bitterness (P < 0.05) of gelatin gels and sweetness (P < 0.05) and bitterness (P < 0.01) of agar gels.     

Response context affects judgments of flavor components in foods and beverages

Panelists in sensory evaluation studies often make judgments about specific components of flavor (for example, sweetness) that are embedded in the complex, multi-dimensional sensory experience elicited by a food or beverage. Studies with multi-modal mixtures provide evidence that the variations in instructions and the response context have a significant impact on the way panelists make these judgments. Response alternatives set a context that influences an observer's approach to an evaluation task prior to the presentation of the stimuli. Observers develop a strategy for dealing with the task, and the number and type of response alternatives represent constraints that the experimenter imposes on the observer. Studies of odor-induced enhancement of taste ratings and taste mixtures provide support for this view. A model for the judgment of flavor components is described which attempts to account for the influence of both perceptual and conceptual factors on ratings of multidimensional stimuli such as foods and beverages.     

基于电子舌与人工感官的茶叶滋味属性参考物呈味强度相关性分析

目的:探究电子舌和人工感官对茶叶滋味属性参考物呈味强度的相关性。方法:以奎宁、明矾、谷氨酸钠、蔗糖和柠檬酸依次为苦、涩、鲜、甜、酸滋味属性参考物,在觉察阈值基础上,分析各滋味属性参考物电子舌和人工感官的浓度—呈味强度关系及其相关性。结果:奎宁苦味觉察阈值为0.015 mg/mL、对应电子舌响应值为4.91;明矾涩味觉察阈值为0.01 mg/mL、对应电子舌响应值为3.32;谷氨酸钠鲜味觉察阈值为0.03 mg/mL、对应电子舌响应值为1.32;蔗糖甜味觉察阈值为0.4 mg/mL、对应电子舌响应值为18.07,柠檬酸酸味觉察阈值为0.04 mg/mL、对应电子舌响应值为6.18。各滋味属性参考物的人工感官和电子舌浓度—呈味强度均呈一定函数曲线关系,符合Weber-Fechne定律;在所选浓度范围内,柠檬酸(酸味)和蔗糖(甜味)电子舌呈味强度与人工感官强度呈正相关,奎宁(苦味)和明矾(涩味)电子舌呈味强度与人工感官强度呈负相关。结论:茶叶中5种滋味属性参考物电子舌检测与人工感官浓度—呈味强度具有一定相关性。     

Sensory characteristics and relative sweetness of tagatose and other sweeteners

The present study investigated the sensory characteristics and relative sweetness of tagatose, an emerging natural low-calorie sweetener with various functional properties, compared to other sweeteners (sucrose, sucralose, erythritol, rebaudioside A), over a wide range of sweetness commonly found in foods and beverages (3% to 20% sucrose [w/v]). A total of 34 subjects evaluated aqueous solutions of the 5 sweeteners for the perceived intensities of sweetness, bitterness, astringency, chemical-like sensations, and sweet aftertaste, using the general version of the Labeled Magnitude Scale. The relationship between the physical concentrations of the sweeteners and their perceived sweetness (that is, psychophysical functions) was derived to quantify the relative sweetness and potency of the sweeteners. The results suggest that tagatose elicits a sweet taste without undesirable qualities (bitterness, astringency, chemical-like sensations). Out of the 5 sweeteners tested, rebaudioside A was the only sweetener with notable bitterness and chemical-like sensations, which became progressively intense with increasing concentration (P < 0.001). In terms of perceived sweetness intensity, the bulk sweeteners (tagatose, erythritol, sucrose) had similar sweetness growth rates (slopes > 1), whereas the high-potency sweeteners (sucralose, rebaudioside A) yielded much flatter sweetness functions (slopes < 1). Because the sweetness of tagatose and sucrose grew at near-identical rates (slope = 1.41 and 1.40, respectively), tagatose produced about the same relative sweetness to sucrose across the concentrations tested. However, the relative sweetness of other sweeteners to sucrose was highly concentration dependent. Consequently, sweetness potencies of other sweeteners varied across the concentrations tested, ranging from 0.50 to 0.78 for erythritol, 220 to 1900 for sucralose, and 300 to 440 for rebaudioside A, while tagatose was estimated to be approximately 0.90 times as potent as sucrose irrespective of concentration. Practical Application: The present study investigated the sensory characteristics and relative sweetness of tagatose, an emerging natural low-calorie sweetener, compared to other sweeteners. Study results suggest that tagatose elicits a sweet taste without undesirable qualities over a wide range of concentrations. Tagatose produced about the same relative sweetness to sucrose across the concentrations tested, while the relative sweetness of other sweeteners was highly concentration dependent. The present data provide a general guideline when considering the use of tagatose and other sweeteners in foods and beverages.     

Sensory Characteristics of Sucralose and other High Intensity Sweeteners

The sensory characteristics of the high potency sweetener sucralose were studied relative to sucrose, aspartame, saccharin, and acesulfame-K in a simple aqueous system. Trained panelists provided sweetness intensity estimates for each sweetener at six concentration steps using magnitude estimation. Taste profiles were obtained using category scaling procedures. Results indicated that (a) sucralose, aspartame, and sucrose had similar taste properties, (b) the psychophysical sweetness function of sucralose was similar to the other sweeteners studied, and (c) sweetness potencies of all sweeteners were concentration dependent with sucralose having the highest potency values ranging from 400–700 times the sweetness of sucrose on a weight basis.     

Relative Importance of Color, Fruity Flavor and Sweetness in the Overall Liking of Soft Drinks

Sixteen soft drink samples, in which appearance (colorless or colored), fruity flavor (with or without a flavorant) and sweetness (5 or 9% sucrose) were systematically varied, were rated for their pleasantness of appearance, flavor (odor, taste and sweetness separately) and overall liking by 448 young adults and children. In terms of sample parameters sucrose concentration and the presence of a flavorant significantly influenced overall liking, whereas color had little significance. In terms of sensory attributes pleasantness of taste and sweetness mainly determined overall liking. The responses of young adults and of children were in the main rather similar, except that the children seemed to put more emphasis on sweetness.     

Do facial reactions add new dimensions to measuring sensory responses to basic tastes?

Basic taste solutions induce sensory perceptions via taste receptors and give rise to specific facial reactions. Many of these have been shown to be innate. The aim of this study was to explore relationships between the sensory perception of basic taste solutions at different concentrations and facial reactions.Basic taste solutions each at three levels plus water were served to a panel. The assessors individually identified quality, intensity and pleasantness. They were recorded during tasting and their facial reactions (based on FACS) were coded and analysed.Facial reactions indicated both quality and concentration of the stimuli. The intensity of most facial reactions increased with increasing stimulus concentration, most pronounced for sourness (lips) and bitterness (eyes and forehead). Pleasantness ratings decreased with increasing concentrations of all basic tastes. Water and the lowest sucrose concentration were perceived as the most pleasant samples and gave rise to the lowest intensity of facial reactions. The study showed that a combination of sensory analyses and facial expressions was successful in adding further insight to the knowledge of perception of basic tastes.     

Aroma–taste interactions between a model cheese aroma and five basic tastes in solution

The flavour perception of cheese results from complex sensory interactions between tastes and aromas. Using a model cheese solution, this study investigated perceived interactions between each of five basic tastes and a cheese aroma mixture containing ten volatile compounds commonly found in cheese. The five tastes – sucrose (sweetness), sodium chloride (NaCl) (saltiness), monosodium glutamate (MSG) (umami), lactic acid (sourness), and caffeine (bitterness) – were individually mixed with cheese aroma in water using a 5 taste level (0.2 log series) by 3 aroma level (0.5 log series) design. Aroma controls with no added taste were also included. This resulted in 18 samples for each single taste–aroma combination. An additional 18 samples were produced using a mixture of all 5 tastes with the 3 aroma levels. A panel of trained assessors (n = 10) evaluated cheese flavour intensity and taste intensity using 100 point line scales. Evaluation was carried out in duplicate, with samples grouped by taste type; 1 evaluation session per taste per replicate. Within type, order of presentation was balanced, and taste type order was randomised between replicates. Cheese flavour intensity was enhanced by sucrose and NaCl, while being suppressed by lactic acid. NaCl enhanced cheese flavour intensity the most at high aroma level, while lactic acid suppressed the most at low aroma level. When MSG level was increased, cheese flavour intensity was enhanced at both low and medium aroma levels, but was suppressed at the high aroma level. The greatest enhancement of cheese flavour intensity was found with the mixture of 5 tastes. Aroma significantly enhanced umami and bitterness, but did not enhance sweetness, saltiness, or sourness. This study showed that the perceived interaction between taste and cheese aroma depended on taste type and on the concentration levels of both taste type and aroma. The mixture of tastes was more effective at enhancing cheese flavour intensity than single tastes. This study provides knowledge that will underpin further study of taste–aroma interactions in a model cheese that aims to optimise cheese flavour intensity and character.     

Effect of ideal–relative sweetness on yogurt consumption

The objectives of this study were to determine how hedonically different sweetness levels in yogurt, determined by the ideal–relative rating method, affected taste test liking ratings and consumption in a naturalistic setting. Nineteen subjects attended a preliminary session, a taste test and three lunch tests. During the taste test, they rated yogurt with three levels of sweetness (high, optimum, and low) for six attributes. During each lunch test, they were offered a tray of nine food items, including yogurt at one of the three sweetness levels. Subjects liked the optimally sweet yogurt best in the taste test and consumed the most of it at lunch. Taste test liking ratings did not predict the amount of yogurt consumed during lunch. The lower-than-optimum sweetness level was more detrimental to taste test ratings than was the oversweetened yogurt whereas the higher-than-optimum sweetness level was more detrimental to consumption during lunch than was the undersweetened yogurt.     

Taste interaction of ethyl alcohol with sweet, salty, sour and bitter compounds

The influence of ethyl alcohol in concentrations ranging from 4 to 24%, on the perceived taste intensities of sucrose, citric acid, quinine, and sodium chloride was determined by 24 subjects. A paired comparison method was used in which subjects selected the sample with the greater taste intensity (sweetness, sourness, bitterness or saltiness) as well as rating the intensity on a 13-point scale. The alcohol generally enhanced the sweetness of sucrose, with results varying slightly according to the subjects' task. The sourness of citric acid, and the saltiness of sodium chloride at all but the lowest concentration, were depressed by increasing additions of alcohol. Alcohol significantly enhanced the bitterness of quinine at all four concentrations. Although these results disagree with previously reported electrophysiological measurements on alcohol-quinine mixtures, they were internally consistent, and meaningful in terms of alcoholic beverage consumption behaviour.     

Sweet/sour balance in champagne wine and dependence on taste/odour interactions

Effects of sucrose and tartaric acid on the sweetness, sourness and total taste intensity of champagne wine were studied through a full factorial design including 15 samples, varying in sucrose (0g/l–20.5g/l) and tartaric acid (2.50g/l–4.22g/l). Two experiments, involving 10 selected and trained subjects, were performed. Samples and procedures were the same, except that subjects had their nostrils closed with nose-clips in experiment 2. The suppressive effect of sucrose on the sourness of tartaric acid was stronger in experiment 2. The suppressive effect of tartaric acid on the sweetness of sucrose was very low in both experiments. Applying the vector addition model on total taste intensity scores indicated that sucrose and tartaric acid partially suppressed each other in both experiments. Sweetness contributed to a greater extent in the judgement of total taste intensity, particularaly in the nose-clip condition.     

Taste response functions of adults and children using different rating scales

The ability of children to estimate the strength of suprathreshold taste stimuli has received minimal investigation, and there have been few attempts to compare their responses directly with those of adults. Accordingly, the present study investigated three rating procedures for establishing the sweetness response functions of 87 adults and 8–9-year old children for sucrose following training with the visual stimulus, length. Similar sweetness response functions were obtained for both subject groups using a category scale or magnitude estimation procedure, whilst the functions for adults and children were different using a hand-separation procedure. The similar sweetness response functions for adults and children obtained with two of the procedures suggest that the sense of taste has reached maturity for the perception of suprathreshold sucrose stimuli by mid-childhood.     

Sweetness intensity perception and pleasantness ratings of sucrose, aspartame solutions and cola among multi-ethnic Malaysian subjects

As the sugar intake of Malaysians is one of the highest in the Asia Pacific region, we wanted to investigate how this high prevalence of ‘sweet tooth’ is influenced by biological determinants like age, gender, ethnicity and Body Mass Index (BMI). This study therefore sought to use the generalized Labeled Magnitude Scale to evaluate the sweetness intensity perception and pleasantness ratings of not only three increasing suprathreshold concentrations of sucrose and a popular naturally-sweetened carbonated beverage - Coca-Cola®, but also their non-nutritive sweetener (NNS) counterparts - aspartame and Coca-Cola Light®. Taken together, the overall intensity of NNS solutions and beverage was perceived as significantly higher, but not for their pleasantness. The intensity perception and pleasantness of most sweet solutions were not significantly associated with gender and BMI. Overall, Malays had a lower perceived intensity of sweet stimuli compared to other ethnicities, but a conclusion of the influence of ethnicity on sweetness pleasantness could not be met. Lastly, sweetness intensity perception and pleasantness ratings for both colas decreased significantly with age.     

The Influence of the Rebaudioside A Content of Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) on the Determination of Sweetness Equivalence in Bittersweet Chocolates,Using the Time‐Intensity Analysis

The consumption of diet products has increased greatly in recent years. The objectives of the study were to develop a bittersweet chocolate added inulin and stevias with different rebaudioside A contents (60%, 80%, and 97%). Five chocolate samples were formulated with different sucrose concentrations to determine the ideal sucrose concentration for bittersweet chocolate. The use of just‐about‐right scale identified an ideal sucrose concentration of 47.5% (w/w). The sweetness equivalence in sugar‐free bittersweet chocolates was determined by the time–intensity method by 14 selected and trained judges. The data collected during each session of sensory evaluation furnished the following parameters in relation to the sweet stimulus: Imax (maximum intensity recorded), Timax (time at which the maximum intensity was recorded), Area (area of time × intensity curve), and Ttot (total duration time of the stimulus). The time–intensity analysis indicated that the percentages of rebaudioside A did not interfere with the sweetness intensity of the sweetener stevia in bittersweet chocolate and there was no significant difference in the concentrations tested (0.16%, 0.22%, 0.27%) of each stevia, in relation to the parameters evaluated. In addition, the reduction in fat content did not alter the perception of the sweetness intensity of the samples. These results showed important information to research and development of chocolate products. Therefore, the use of the lowest stevia concentration tested (0.16%) is the most indicated for use, since this quantity was sufficient to reach the ideal sweetness of the product, so there was no point in adding more.