Low‐sugar strawberry yogurt: Hedonic thresholds and expectations

Abstract

Sugar reductions in processed foods can impact a product's sensory aspects and lead to financial losses for the companies that produce them. The aim of the present study was to determine sucrose levels in strawberry yogurt production that would not compromise acceptance (compromised acceptance threshold [CAT]) or result in sensory rejection (hedonic rejection threshold [HRT]). Second, the consumers' expectations were assessed by comparing sensory acceptability of the samples in blind and informed tests to verify the impact of reduced sugar content information on consumer perceptions. The ideal sweetness level of the sampled products was also evaluated. Finally, reduced sugar samples were evaluated with regards to meeting the new national requirements for reduced sucrose yogurts. Samples with a 9.13% sucrose concentration CAT and a 6.36% HRT were obtained when using the hedonic threshold methodology (HTM), from a control sample containing 10.64% sucrose. Over 14% of the sucrose in yogurt can be reduced without altering sensory acceptance, but a 40% or greater reduction in sucrose content may lead to sensory rejection of strawberry yogurt. The present study demonstrated that reductions which meet the required Brazilian standards can be made without affecting sensory acceptance. Practical Applications This was the first study to use the HTM to study sucrose reduction in dairy products. The results presented herein could have an important impact on industry, public policy makers, and consumers and may help dairy manufacturers meet established sugar reduction goals without affecting sensory acceptance. The effects are an important contribution to food science even when there are no sugar reduction requirements in play. Companies that have tested the impact of sugar reduction and studied how much sugar can be appropriately removed will be ahead of their competitors when these dietary requirements are implemented.

Development and storage stability of conjugated linoleic acid fortified yogurt

“…Yogurts were removed from fridge-freezer (4 o C) 1 hour earlier to sensory analysis, placed at room temperature Stone & Sidel (2004) Three random yogurt samples were offered to panel in transparent and ordor less plastic cups along with a glass of water aiming to rinse mouth between the samples. Cups were coded with three random numbers (Souza et al, 2021).…”

Investigation of the effects of pomegranate juice addition on physicochemical, microbiological, and functional properties of set and stirred yogurts

“…Hedonic threshold methodology (HTM) can be used as a novel method to study the acceptance of food products. de Souza et al (2021) applied HTM to evaluate sucrose reduction in dairy products. The HTM establishes a direct relationship between stimulus intensity and sensory acceptance and does not infer that differences perceived by consumers will interfere with the sensory acceptance of the food product.…”

Proposal for determining valence and arousal thresholds: Compromised pleasure threshold, unpleasure threshold, and arousal threshold

“…Recent intensification of sensory thresholds in studies is driven by a strengthened "food healthiness" trend. In a study by Souza et al (2021), over 14% of the sucrose in yogurt could be reduced without compromising sensory acceptance, from a control sample containing 10.64% sucrose. Sant'anna et al ( 2020) determined the compromised acceptance threshold (CAT) and the RT for salt concentrations in salty cookies, showing that when the sodium chloride concentration was reduced from 1.81 to 0.84%, product acceptance is impaired.…”