Sensory Interactions between Sweetness and Fat in a Chocolate Milk Beverage

Fat and sugar-reduced foods and beverages have become increasingly popular for a variety of reasons, mainly relating to health and wellbeing. Depending on the food or beverage, it may be difficult to reduce the fat and/or sugar content and still maintain optimal sensory properties for the specific product. One way of approaching the problem is to gain a better understanding of how a product is affected by a reduction in fat and/or sugar. This paper aims to investigate the sensory interactions between fat and sweetness perception in a chocolate-flavored milk beverage by using a descriptive analysis with a trained sensory panel. The reduction of fat significantly reduced the sweetness intensity of the chocolate milk, while the reduction of sucrose significantly decreased the cream flavor and the fruity and lactic flavor. The perception of acesulfame-K was affected by fat concentration, similarly to sucrose. These results highlight the importance of considering the effects of reducing either sugar and fat on product attributes that are not directly related to the sugar or fat.

Automated summary

Fat and sugar-reduced foods and beverages are increasingly popular due to health concerns. However, reducing fat and sugar without compromising sensory properties is challenging. This study examines the sensory interactions between fat and sweetness in chocolate-flavored milk. Findings indicate that reducing fat decreases sweetness intensity, while reducing sucrose reduces cream flavor, fruity flavor, and lactic flavor. The perception of acesulfame-K is also affected by fat concentration. These results highlight the importance of considering the impact of reducing sugar and fat on non-sugar and fat-related attributes.