Sungeun Cho and Md. Shakir Moazzem. Prev Nutr Food Sci 2022;27:354-64. https://doi.org/10.3746/pnf.2022.27.4.354

Rebaudioside (Reb) D and M are the recent focus of the food industry to address the bitter taste challenge of Reb A, which is the most commonly used steviol glycoside in natural sweetener stevia. This study evaluated the sensory characteristics of Reb A, D, and M, compared to 14% (w/v) sucrose, using a consumer panel and explored the relationship between 6-n-Propylthiouracil (PROP) taster status (i.e., non-tasters, medium tasters, supertasters) and the perceived intensity of sweet and bitter tastes of the three steviol glycosides. A total of 126 participants evaluated the intensities of in-mouth, immediate (5 s after expectorating), and lingering (1 min after expectorating) sweetness and bitterness of 0.1% Reb A, D, M, and 14% sucrose and described the aftertaste of the sweeteners by using a check-all-that-apply (CATA) question. The results showed that in-mouth sweetness and bitterness of Reb D and M were not significantly different from sucrose, unlike Reb A which showed significant bitterness. However, Reb D and M showed more intense lingering sweetness than sucrose. The CATA analysis resulted that Reb D and M were closer to positive attribute terms and also to sucrose than Reb A, but Reb D and M were still considered artificial, which may cause them to be perceived negatively. When comparing among PROP taster groups, no significant differences in the perceived sweetness and bitterness of the three steviol glycosides were found. This study generates important information about Reb A, D, and M for the food industry, especially working with products formulated to deliver reductions in sugar using a natural high-intensity sweetener, stevia.

There has been a challenge in overcoming the bitter aftertaste of stevia, a natural non-caloric sweetener. Recent research focuses on investigating various types of steviol glycosides, the sweet compounds in stevia leaves, as they exhibit different sensory characteristics. This study determined the sensory properties and acceptability of ice cream sweetened solely with three steviol glycosides, rebaudioside (Reb) A, D, and M (0.09% w/v), using sucrose-sweetened ice cream as a control (14% w/v). Ice cream consumers (n = 92) rated their overall liking, attribute liking, and sweetness and bitterness intensities and described the aftertastes of each sample using check-all-that-apply. The liking scores of Reb D- and M-sweetened ice creams were significantly higher than those of Reb A-sweetened ice cream. Among the three glycosides, only Reb M showed a sweetness intensity comparable with that of sucrose. Consumers perceived the aftertastes of Reb D and M ice creams as being more sweet, pleasant, creamy, and milky, while Reb A was more artificial and chemical. Reb D and M ice creams were also plotted close to sucrose in the correspondence analysis graph, meaning that their aftertaste characteristics were similar to those of sucrose. The present study clearly highlights that Reb D and M have better tastes and provide better perceptions to consumers than Reb A, which is the most widely used glycoside in food industry.

Short sleep duration increases preferences for high-carbohydrate and high-fat foods. It is unclear if insufficient sleep-induced changes in food preference are mediated by changes in taste perception and if these changes are related to sweetener type (sucrose or sucralose) or sweet liking phenotype. The primary objective of this study was to determine if sleep curtailment results in changes in sweet taste perception after sleep curtailment. Forty participants used a single-channel electroencephalograph to record both a habitual and curtailed night (33% reduction) of sleep at home. The following morning, multiple dimensions of sweet taste perception were measured, including preferred sweetener concentrations, patterns of sweet liking, and intensity perception over a range of concentrations. After curtailment, a significant increase in preferred concentration for both sucrose and sucralose (p < 0.001 for both) was observed. The slope of sucrose sweet liking increased after curtailment (p = 0.001). The slope of sucralose liking also increased, but this was not significant (p = 0.129). Intensity perception of the sweeteners was not altered by curtailment. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to classify participants by sweet liking phenotype. Phenotypes were found to predict preferred sweetener concentration. These findings illustrate a possible need to control for sleep in food sensory studies and suggest a potential mechanism by which insufficient sleep can lead to excess energy intake.