The combined effects of Stevia and sucralose as sugar substitute and inulin as fat mimetic on the physicochemical properties of sugar-free reduced-fat dairy dessert

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the influence of Stevia (St) and sucralose (Su) as a sugar substitute and inulin as a fat mimetic on starch-based model dairy desserts on it's physicochemical properties, since the substitution of sucrose (S) and fats modifies their sensory and textural properties. A mixed experimental design was used to study the effects of single, binary and tertiary combinations of sucralose and Stevia on the dessert properties. Our results suggest that sugar can be replaced by the combination of Stevia and sucralose and that fat can be partially replaced by inulin to improve the properties of the final product. Results showed that the flow behavior and viscoelastic parameters varied among samples, obtaining the highest values of viscosity and consistency factor (K) for the samples 100%St and 50%St+50%Su. The combination of 50%St+50%Su presented the highest sensorial acceptability, and there was no statistically significant difference with the control 100%S (P>0.05). The addition of inulin to the fat-reduced dessert sweetened with the combination of 50%St+50%Su decreased the syneresis, and as a consequence, stability increased. The syneresis of this sample kept a constant value during storage and it was significantly lower than the control sample, 100%S (P<0.05). The samples with inulin presented an increase in the consistency, confirming the effect of the polysaccharide as fat replacer. The sensory analysis showed a higher acceptability of the sample 50%St+50%Su+2.5%I compared to a reduced fat commercial sample. In this work, we have developed a formulation with sugar-free and reduced-fat content sweetened with combinations of St and Su using inulin as a fat substitute, with improved sensory and physical properties.