Simultaneous Effects of Sucrose and Stevia Sweetener on the Sensory and Physicochemical Properties of Apple Beverage

Abstract

The present study investigates the simultaneous effects of sucrose and stevia sweetener on the sensory and physicochemical properties of apple beverages. To examine and optimize the formulation of the functional apple beverage, three factors—apple concentrate, sugar, and stevia—were selected at three different levels. Using a partial factorial design within a D-optimal framework, 18 different treatments were identified based on the variable levels under study. The beverages were then produced according to these treatments. The results from the physicochemical, microbiological, and organoleptic tests were analyzed within a completely randomized design, and Duncan's test was used at a 5% probability level to compare the means of the treatments. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS software. The results indicated that changes in sucrose percentage and the amount of stevia sweetener affected the moisture content. Specifically, treatments containing a lower percentage of sucrose and a higher percentage of stevia had higher moisture content compared to treatments with higher sucrose and lower stevia levels. In sensory evaluation, an increase in sucrose concentration resulted in higher beverage consistency, but with higher amounts of stevia, panelists gave lower scores. Despite this, all the samples received high sensory scores ranging from 4 to 5 from the panelists. Overall, it can be concluded that the formulated beverage, based on sensory evaluation and economic assessments, can be introduced to the industry as a low-calorie, functional beverage without harmful effects.

Keywords: Apple beverage, sucrose, stevia sweetener, mold, and yeast growth.