Sucrose-replacement by rebaudioside a in a model beverage

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Sensory Analysis
• Natural Sweeteners

Background:

• Rebaudioside A (RA) from Stevia rebaudiana offers a natural, non-caloric sweetening option.
• High concentrations of RA can lead to undesirable off-flavors, limiting its application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the optimal sensory profile for consumer acceptance of ice-tea sweetened with Rebaudioside A.
• To evaluate the impact of increasing sucrose replacement by RA on the sensory attributes of a model ice-tea beverage.

Main Methods:

• A model ice-tea beverage was formulated with varying percentages of sucrose replaced by Rebaudioside A (20% and 40%).
• Sensory profiles were analyzed, including flavor attributes and aftertaste.
• Hedonic tests were conducted to assess consumer preference and acceptance compared to a reference (100% sucrose) ice-tea.

Main Results:

• Ice-tea samples with 20% and 40% RA replacement showed similar sensory profiles to the reference.
• These samples exhibited significantly higher artificial sweetness, licorice-like, and metallic notes, along with increased sweet and bitter aftertaste (p < 0.05).
• Despite some off-notes, consumer preference and acceptance for RA-containing samples were comparable to the reference.

Conclusions:

• Replacing up to 40% of sucrose with Rebaudioside A in ice-tea is feasible from a sensory perspective.
• Further research may be needed to mitigate undesirable flavor attributes at higher RA concentrations.