Bulk sweeteners generate a variety of functional properties in
beverages including sweetness, palatability, flavor, bulking,
bitterness, masking sour notes, structure and mouthfeel. Diet beverages
can approach the taste of regular beverages by using a blend of
high-intensity sweeteners. Some properties, including bulking, structure
and mouthfeel, though, remain significantly different.
Relating the physical properties of these beverages to their
sensory characteristics is an important step in being able to understand
why mouthfeel is different for beverages sweetened with alternative
sweeteners than for beverages sweetened with bulk sweeteners. With this
in mind, scientists at the University of Illinois measured brix,
viscosity, water activity, carbonation, titratable acidity and the pH of
14 commercial carbonated beverages. Then they correlated the physical
measurements to a descriptive analysis results of each product.
Brix (measured using a handheld refractometer), water activity and
carbonation were measured at 10 C on freshly opened cans of 14
carbonated beverages. Titratable acidity (measured using an automatic
titrator) and viscosity were measured on decarbonated beverages at 22 C
and 10 C, respectively. Investigators also determined the pH of
carbonated and decarbonated beverages.
Researchers compared these physical measurements to sensory results
generated by a descriptive analysis panel previously conducted on the
same products. They applied correlation analysis, principal component
analysis, partial least squares and cluster analysis to analyze the
data. Brix, viscosity and sweet taste were highly correlated and
negatively correlated to water activity. Carbonated and decarbonated pH
were highly correlated and negatively correlated to mouth coating.
Numbing, burn, bite and carbonation were highly correlated to total
acidity, citric acid and ascorbic acid and were negatively correlated to
phosphoric acid.
A number of factors contribute to the perceived mouthfeel
differences between diet and regular carbonated beverages. Modifying the
physical properties of diet beverages, by adding or substituting
ingredients to match those of regular carbonated beverages, will
decrease the differences in overall mouthfeel between the two types of
products.
Further information. Shelly Schmidt, Department of Food Science and
Human Nutrition, 367 Bevier Hall, 905 S. Goodwin Ave., University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801; phone: 217-333-6369;
fax: 217-265-0925; email: sjs@uiuc.edu.
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