D-tagatose as a sucrose substitute and its effect on the physico-chemical properties and acceptability of strawberry-flavored yogurt

Damir D. Torrico, Jennifer Tam, Sigfredo Fuentes, Claudia Gonzalez Viejo, Frank R. Dunshea

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Sugar not only provides the desirable sweetness but its reduction can also alter the physico-chemical properties of foods. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of tagatose as a sugar substitute on selected physico-chemical properties and sensory acceptability of strawberry-flavored yogurts. Six yogurt samples with decreasing concentrations of sucrose (8.50 to 1.70 g/100 g) and increasing concentrations of tagatose (0.00 to 9.24 g/100 g) were evaluated. Physico-chemical tests (pH, lactic acid (%), Brix, water-holding capacity (WHC), viscosity, and color) were conducted to examine the quality and shelf-life of yogurts during 28 days of storage at 4 C. An acceptability test (n = 55) was conducted to evaluate the sensory characteristics of yogurts. Sucrose reductions by the replacement of up to 80% tagatose showed marginal effects on the selected physico-chemical properties; however, the loss of red color (a*) and increase in yellowness (b*) of the tagatose-substituted samples were significant. Strawberry yogurts with tagatose replacements had similar acceptability scores for all attributes. Sucrose reduction showed a positive effect on the purchase intent of the strawberry yogurts (an increase of 3–30%). These findings can be used to understand the effects of tagatose/sucrose formulations on the acceptability and physico-chemical properties of yogurts.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number256
JournalFoods
Volume8
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2019
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Acceptability
  • Physico-chemical
  • Sugar reduction
  • Tagatose
  • Yogurt

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Food Science
  • Microbiology
  • Health(social science)
  • Health Professions (miscellaneous)
  • Plant Science

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