Impact of sugar reduction on color, texture, sensory properties and anthocyanin stability in strawberry-based fruit preparations for yogurt

The global rise in overweight and obesity has been associated with excessive sugar intake. We examined the impact of sugar reduction and substitution on key quality parameters of fruit preparations for a strawberry-based fruit yogurt. When the added sucrose was omitted completely, a substantial decline of the viscosity was observed and Bostwick flow distances expanded from 7.0 to 9.8 cm/min. Concurrently, density dropped from 1.17 to 1.03 g/cm 3 , and water activity increased from 0.96 to 0.99. In contrast, replacing 50% or 100% of the added sucrose by a 1:1 (w/w) mixture of erythritol and xylitol decreased the water activity. Sensory tests did not reveal any significant difference between the full-sugar reference and a 50%-substitution of sucrose by polyols. As examined by colorimetry and chromatographic anthocyanin analyses, approximately 22% of the initial anthocyanins were retained in the full-sugar variant after stress-test storing for eight weeks at 37 °C, while only 16% were retained upon complete sucrose omission without substitution. In contrast, full sucrose substitution with polyols slightly improved stability, preserving 25% of anthocyanins. Across all tested formulations, a clear inverse correlation between water activity and anthocyanin retention was observed (R 2 polynomic = 0.99). • Complete removal of sucrose resulted in losses of key quality attributes. • Substitution with non-bulk sweeteners resulted in losses of key quality attributes. • Substitution with polyols mimicked the full sugar variant’s properties. • Polyol substitution contributed to superior anthocyanin stability. • Ion mobilities of black carrot anthocyanins were determined for the first time. • Compliance with ethical standards