Human responses to five concentrations of sucrose in a dairy product: immediate and delayed palatability effects

Preferences for five sucrose concentrations (0, 5, 10, 20 and 40 g of sugar per 100 g of plain yogurt) were assessed in men and women by brief-exposure sensory evaluation tests and intake tests. Ten ad-libitum yogurt intake tests (with each concentration presented twice) and two sensory evaluation tests (one before and one after the series of intake tests) were conducted. Food intake in the 24 h after each test was estimated using dietary records. Sweetness intensity ratings did not change as a function of test condition. In contrast, hedonic ratings in sensory evaluation tests were more closely correlated to actual intake in experienced than in naive subjects. In intake tests the preferred sucrose concentrations were 5 and 10%. Food intake in the first few hours after yogurt intake was significantly greater on 10%-sucrose days relative to the other concentration days in men only. Although there was a tendency to eat more over the 24 h after consumption of the preferred yogurts, this effect was not statistically significant. Total daily intake, including the calories in the yogurts, was greater on intake days than on sensory evaluation days, indicating that the energy derived from the yogurts was not compensated for by a decrease in subsequent intake.