Impact of Structural Differences on Perceived Sweetness in Semisolid Dairy Matrices

Abstract

The objective of this work was to explore the possibility of obtaining dairy desserts of similar consistency and with different sweetness intensity. Eight formulations were prepared varying in the thickener type and concentration: carboxymethyl cellulose (1.1 and 1.3% w/w) and modified starch (3.5 and 4.0% w/w) and the milk type (whole or skimmed). The amounts of sugar (10% w/w), colorant (37.5 mg/kg) and lemon flavor (120 mg/kg) were fixed. Changes in composition and structure provide products with similar values of three instrumental indices of thickness (η10, η50 and Kokini shear stress [OSS]). The relationship between each of these instrumental indices and the sensory consistency fitted well to Psychophysical Stevens' Law. No direct relationship was detected between OSS values and sweetness. Some structural differences observed between thickeners can influence product behavior during oral processing, modifying in‐mouth delivery of sucrose molecules. It could explain sweetness differences among samples with similar consistency. Practical Applications Decreasing calorie content of processed foods without modifying their quality and acceptance is important for consumers and the food industry. In dairy desserts, a strategy to compensate or reduce the sensory quality problems associated with calorie reduction is to design novel textures for optimizing the delivery of sweet taste stimuli to taste receptors. The results of this work have shown that it is possible to obtain semisolid dairy desserts with similar texture and with different sweetness, and also, with different texture and similar sweetness using different thickeners. More studies are needed to understand the effect of oral processing in dairy desserts thickened with different hydrocolloids to explain the observed variations in sweetness perceived.

Effect of hydrocolloid on rheology and microstructure of high-protein soy desserts

“…4c, d). The good correlation obtained between the two index values (R 2 = 0.92) seems to confirm the practical utility of both of these instrumental measurements to predict perceived consistency or thickness in this type of semisolid product (Cook et al 2003;Arancibia et al 2013b).…”

“…However, some authors have found that oral thickness correlates with different rheological indices. It has been confirmed that one of them, apparent viscosity at a shear rate of 50 s −1 , suggested by Wood in 1968, has practical utility as a possible instrumental index of thickness perceived in semisolid foods (Cook et al 2003;Arancibia et al 2013b). Consequently, apparent viscosity values at a shear rate of 50 s −1 (η 50 ) were also calculated.…”

Temporal sweetness profile of MNEI protein in gelled model systems

“…Pauloski et al (), also reported different effects of bolus volume in salty taste perception in patients treated for head and neck cancer, describing a saltier perception when bolus volume was higher. Other studies (Arancibia, Costell, & Bayarri, ; Spence, ), showed that in healthy people the salivary flow, which also is very variable among people, affects the gustatory, and flavor perception. Also this result could account for the differences between the present study and previous ones, since different assessors were used.…”

Colour, rheology, flavour release and sensory perception of dairy desserts. Influence of thickener and fat content

“…Also, adding food thickeners is believed to increase texture and decrease aroma and taste intensity, although these effects seem to be dependent on thickener type (Bayarri, Rivas, Izquierdo, & Costell, 2007;Guinard & Marty, 1995;Hollowood, Linforth, & Taylor, 2002). Differences in how thickener type and concentration affect perceived flavour, taste and texture in dairy systems can be explained not only by their contribution to product structure and rheology, but also by their influence on the product matrix transformation during oral processing (Arancibia, Costell, & Bayarri, 2013;Engelen & van der Bilt, 2008;Gierczynski, Guichard, & Laboure, 2011). Starch and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) are the most widely used thickeners in dairy desserts.…”