Matrix-Dependent Sweet-Sour Psychophysics: gLMS and Time-Intensity of Sugar Alcohol-Acid Mixture in Liquids and...

Precision control of sweet-sour interactions is pivotal for reduced-sugar design across formats. This work quantified psychophysical functions for xylitol, erythritol, and sorbitol with citric or malic acid in liquids and tablet candies using gLMS concentration-intensity and time-intensity methods. In liquids, subthreshold ratings clustered near barely detectable, while suprathreshold relations followed Stevens' power law; exponents declined at extreme levels, indicating saturation. Tablets preserved power-law scaling yet exhibited > 79% higher acid exponents than liquids, producing steeper sourness growth; in erythritol and sorbitol, malic exceeded citric by > 21%, whereas exponents were ~1 and comparable in xylitol. TI results showed bidirectional suppression: acids lowered sweetness (I _max, AUC), with xylitol displaying compressed onset-decay-persistence; sugar alcohols attenuated sourness, with malic less inhibited than citric. These parameters enable predictable, matrix-specific tuning to preserve sweetness, prevent sourness spikes, and support evidence-based formulation for consumer acceptance, regulatory sugar targets, shelf-life stability, and scalability.