Stevioside as a Replacement of Sucrose in Peach Juice: Sensory Evaluation

The suitability of stevioside as a sweetener in peach juice was investigated. Comparison between stevioside and sucrose in terms of sweetness, sweet and bitter aftertastes were determined both in water and peach juice. The results demonstrated that 160 mg/L of stevioside may replace 34 g/L of sucrose in juice, with a 25% decrease in calories, without affecting the sensory characteristics of the product. Synergistic and inhibitory effects between sucrose and stevioside were also monitored at different stevioside concentration. A new juice formulation sweetened with a binary mixture of stevioside (160 mg/L) and sucrose (56 g/L) was not significantly different in terms of desirability from a reference product sweetened with 9% sucrose.