Production of low‐calorie apricot nectar sweetened with stevia: Impact on qualitative, sensory, and nutritional profiles

Abstract

This study aimed to develop a low‐calorie apricot nectar by replacing sucrose with different amount of Stevia rebaudiana bertoni (Rebaudioside A, 98%). Stevia has become very popular as sweetener for the production of low‐calorie products but its addition could be a challenge for industry, since it could modify sensory features of the product and consumers' acceptance. To this end, apricot nectars without sugar, with sucrose 10%, and with different amounts of stevia were produced and evaluated for microbiological quality using the pour‐plate technique, and physicochemical (pH, TTA, and aw) and nutritional (moisture, fat, protein, carbohydrates, and ash) characteristics. Furthermore, a sensory analysis of the samples was performed by a panel of trained judges using quantitative descriptive analysis. The effect of stevia addiction on the consumers' acceptance was investigated by 102 consumers of fruit juices that evaluated the overall acceptability of the samples using a structured 9‐point hedonic scale. Levels of microbial groups in nectars were under the detection limit confirming a good hygienic practice within the production. Nectars produced with stevia resulted in significant reduction in caloric value from 86 kcal (nectar with 10% sucrose) to 49 kcal (nectars with stevia), without altering its typicality. Different sensory profiles among samples were pointed out; all the products are liked, but with a different level of pleasantness. The study highlighted that the apricot nectars with 0.07% stevia are characterized for sweet and liquorice aroma notes and received the same level of consumer acceptability of nectars produced with 10% sucrose.

Differentiation between wild and artificial cultivated Stephaniae tetrandrae radix using chromatographic and flow‐injection mass spectrometric fingerprints with the aid of principal component analysis

“…Principal component analysis concerns a mathematical procedure that transforms a number of possibly correlated variables into a smaller number of uncorrelated variables (Huang et al., 2020; Zhao, Chang, & Chen, 2015). PCA provides visual patterns (Castro‐Alba et al., 2019; Chen, Sun, & Ford, 2014; Reale et al., 2020; Sun, Sun, & Han, 2018) which can be understood and accepted easily; furthermore, the results also avoid subjective decisions. In the present study, to assess the resemblance and differences between wild and cultivated samples, a PCA was performed based on the eight common peaks (Figure 1).…”

Pengaruh Persentase Penambahan Bubuk Daun Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni dan Lama Penyeduhan terhadap Karakteristik Minuman Kunyit Asam

“…Perlakuan persentase penambahan bubuk daun stevia tidak memberikan pengaruh terhadap nilai pH minuman diduga karena senyawa asam pada daun stevia yang terlarut ke dalam minuman kunyit asam relatif tidak berbeda. Hasil ini didukung oleh penelitian yang dilakukan oleh Reale et al (2020) Perlakuan lama penyeduhan juga tidak memberikan pengaruh terhadap nilai pH minuman kunyit asam. Hasil ini diduga karena senyawa asam yang terlarut ke dalam minuman kunyit asam selama waktu tertentu relatif tidak berbeda, sehingga tidak memberikan pengaruh terhadap nilai derajat keasamaan (pH) minuman.…”

Fermented beverage obtained from hydroSOStainable pistachios

“…The increase in allergies and intolerances (e.g., lactose), as well as the demand for healthier products (without cholesterol, low in calories, etc.) and vegetable‐based products, are the main driving factors increasing their sales (Reale et al., 2020; Stone, 2011).…”