The underlying mechanisms of taste interactions in humans are not well understood, and three mechanisms have been proposed, namely a chemical interaction, a peripheral physiological, and a central mechanism. In the present study, it was investigated which of these mechanisms causes the suppression of sweetness by citric acid. This was investigated using a split-tongue gustometer that can stimulate the two sides of the tongue with different stimuli simultaneously, enabling a comparison of sucrose and citric acid presented either separately on each side of the tongue simultaneously or in a mixture on one side. Two studies were conducted using low (Study 1; n = 50) and high (Study 2: n = 59) concentrations of sucrose (2.5% (w/w) and 10% (w/w), respectively), and citric acid (0.14% (w/w) and 0.18% (w/w), respectively). In neither of the studies was there a significant difference in sweetness intensity ratings between the two conditions where sucrose and citric acid were presented either separately or in a mixture form. However, both showed significantly lower sweetness ratings than without citric acid indicating suppression of the sweetness of sucrose from citric acid. This provides strong evidence for a central mechanism for the suppression of the sweetness of sucrose by citric acid. This mechanism seems to be equal in high and low concentrations of both sucrose and citric acid.

The present study aimed to formulate sucrose‐replaced samples with natural or synthetic sweeteners, and to benchmark the temporal sensory profile of sucrose‐replaced samples to a control sample (100% sucrose). Acesulfame‐K, aspartame, erythritol, rebaudioside M, and sucralose replaced sucrose at four different levels (25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) in aqueous solutions. A trained sensory panel evaluated the samples with temporal check‐all‐that‐apply. The sweeteners showed great individual differences in their ability to replace sucrose. Except for aspartame, the 25% sucrose replacement across all sweeteners was not significantly different from the control. Aspartame, erythritol, and sucralose showed no difference from sucrose for the 50% and 75% sucrose‐replaced samples. In contrast, a replacement of above 25% sucrose with acesulfame‐K and rebaudioside M resulted in significant variations in the aftertaste period resulting in bitter off‐taste and licorice off‐flavor, respectively, compared to the control. Conclusively, synthetic and natural sweeteners were able to partially replace sucrose without altering the temporal sensory profile.Practical Applications: This study showed high variability of achievable sucrose replacement suggesting that the choice of sweetener is crucial for a successful replacement. Blends of sucralose or erythritol with sucrose was most suitable to mimic the sensory profile of sucrose. This can be applied by the food industry in the innovation of low energy food and beverage products with comparable sensory profiles to the sucrose counterparts.

Chocolate-flavored milk contributes to excessive intake of added sugars among children and adolescents, which why it is a good candidate product for sucrose replacement. This study investigates how replacing sucrose partially or completely with different sweetener systems affects the sensory profile and consumer liking. Five chocolate-flavored milk treatments were formulated, varying in sucrose replacement level (partial: 58%; complete: 100%) and sweetener system (synthetic: acesulfame-K; natural: rebaudioside M-erythritol blend). Relative-to-Reference Scaling by a trained panel confirmed that no significant differences in the sensory profile when partial sucrose replacement was compared to sucrose, whereas the complete replacement increased bitter taste, pungent flavor, licorice flavor and mouth-drying. A total of 104 consumers evaluated the treatments for liking and indicated their temporal perceptions with temporal check-all-that-apply. Latent variable clustering performed on liking ratings revealed two clusters, which perceived temporal sensory characteristics differently depending on the sweetener system. Cluster 1 preferred the sucrose control over treatments with complete and partial replacement using a natural sweetener system, with complete replacement being perceived as having off-flavor. Cluster 2 preferred the sucrose control over partial and complete replacement using either of the sweetener replacements investigated, which were characterized as off-flavored and bitter. Understanding these consumer segments enables the food industry to develop effective low-energy formulations using synthetic and natural non-nutritive sweeteners, leading to reduced sugar consumption.

The transition to plant-based diets is advocated as a consumption measure to mitigate the environmental impacts of animal-based food production. Understanding the drivers and barriers to consumption can guide the formulation of tailored strategies for advancing plant-based alternatives in markets. This study investigated the principal drivers and barriers influencing the adoption of plant-based cheese alternatives among Danish consumers (n = 550) through an online survey. Participants were clustered based on the sensory (flavor and texture) cues using Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering, resulting in four consumer groups: (C1) consumers who prefer plant-based cheese alternatives to closely mimic both the flavor and texture of dairy cheese (n = 172); (C2) Consumers who prefer dairy-like flavor but are open to plant-based textures (n = 141); (C3) Consumers who prefer dairy-like texture but are open to novel flavor (n = 146); and (C4) Consumers who seek variety and novelty in both flavor and texture (n = 91). The results showed that consumer preferences for flavor and texture cues are important factors in shaping their motivations and barriers toward plant-based cheese. Specifically, product availability emerged as a significant barrier for those preferring dairy-like alternatives, while sensory perception and convenience were less influential for consumers who favor novelty. Notably, the consumer clusters did not show significant statistical differences in dietary pattern types, such as omnivores, flexitarians, vegetarians, or vegans. Understanding these dynamics is essential for developing effective strategies to promote plant-based cheese alternatives and cater to varying consumer needs.

The quality and preservation potential of dry‐aged monkfish (DM) in maturation bags and unprocessed fresh monkfish (FM) fillets were evaluated during cold storage (1.5°C ± 0.5°C), using quality index method (QIM), microbial analysis, and cadaverine measurements. The quality index (QI) increased linearly with storage (FM, R ² = 0.88; DM, R ² = 0.87), revealing a 4‐ to 5‐day shelf life extension for DM compared to FM. This was confirmed by microbiological results, with total viable counts (TVC) being significantly ( p < 0.01) higher for FM than DM on the day of rejection, defined by QIM at D10 and D14, with TVC accounting for 8.8 ± 0.1 and 7.5 ± 0.4 log(CFU/g), respectively. Predominant spoilage bacteria present in the FM and DM were Pseudomonas spp. and Shewanella spp. accounting for 60% and 30% of isolates ( n : 30), respectively, whereas Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli were not detected in either treatment. Cadaverine levels observed were within safety limits for the extended shelf life period and increased exponentially with storage (FM, R ² = 0.83; DM, R ² = 0.96), whereas a significant ( p < 0.05) correlation was observed with QI scores for both FM ( r  = 0.92) and DM ( r  = 0.88). Associating the results of QIM to the sensory descriptive analysis revealed that the cooked fillets’ “eating quality” reflected the uncooked fillets’ odor quality. Overall, dry‐aging via maturation bags can be considered a suitable and applicable preservation method for monkfish and other lean fish that can safely extend the shelf life while retaining or even enhancing their sensory eating quality.