Effects of aroma–taste interaction on the sensory attributes of rebaudiosides in soymilk and milk

Abstract BACKGROUND Rebaudioside A (Reb‐A) and rebaudioside M (Reb‐M) are intense natural sweeteners but can also elicit bitterness and a bitter aftertaste. In this study, the effect of vanilla and chocolate flavorings on the sensory attributes of Reb‐A and Reb‐M applied to soymilk and milk was investigated to identify whether the addition of flavoring could enhance the sweetness via aroma–taste interactions. RESULTS Nine samples each of soymilk and milk were formulated by adding sucrose, Reb‐A and Reb‐M in three flavor conditions (no flavoring, vanilla, and chocolate). Descriptive analyses were conducted using nine panelists for the soymilk and eight panelists for the milk. Another descriptive analysis was conducted using the same samples with olfactory occlusion via the wearing of a nose clip to check whether the sweetness enhancement was due to olfactory input. The chocolate flavoring significantly enhanced the sweetness of Reb‐A and Reb‐M and reduced the bitterness, bitter aftertaste and astringency in both soymilk and milk. The vanilla flavoring was not as effective as the chocolate flavoring in enhancing sweetness. When the olfactory passage was closed with a nose clip, the sweetness enhancement and bitterness suppression were not detected in the samples. CONCLUSION The addition of chocolate flavoring could successfully improve the sensory profile of soymilk sweetened with Reb‐A through aroma–taste interactions. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.