Sensory evaluation of soft drinks with various sweeteners

Forty subjects participated in each of two experiments in which both lemon-line and cola-flavored beverages containing one of six sweeteners--sucrose, sodium saccharin, aspartame, acesulfam-K, and two calcium cyclamate/sodium saccharin blends (10:1 and 3.5:1)--were evaluated on similarity and adjective scales. The similarity data suggest that drinks containing sucrose and aspartame cannot be discriminated from one another in either a lemon-line or cola medium in this experimental design. Sucrose and aspartame were also statistically equivalent on every adjective scale for both lemon-line and cola drinks. On both similarity judgments and adjective scales, acesulfam-K and sodium saccharin were most different from sucrose. The calcium cyclamate/sodium saccharin blends tended to be less similar than aspartame but not as different from sucrose as the acesulfam-K or sodium saccharin sweetened beverages.