Sugar reductions on the sensory characteristics, quality, and emotional profile of pound cakes

Among strategies to reduce sugar in foods, stepwise sugar removal is one of the simplest and most feasible approaches. This study evaluated consumer responses to pound cakes in which sucrose was reduced and replaced with flour through consumer rejection threshold testing, acceptability measurements, emotional profiling, and selected physicochemical analyses. Sugar reductions exceeding 9.1% of the original sucrose content resulted in lower preference, whereas a 9.1% reduction from the initial sucrose level (25 g sucrose/100 g batter) maintained acceptable liking scores and purchase intent. Positive emotions were associated with lower levels of sugar reduction, while negative emotions increased at higher reductions. Sugar replacement with flour also affected moisture content, water activity, hardness, chewiness, springiness, and cohesiveness. These findings suggest that moderate reductions in the original sucrose content can be implemented in pound cakes without compromising consumer acceptance and demonstrate the value of emotional profiling in supporting product reformulation strategies.