Temporal Sweetness Profile of MNEI and Comparison with Commercial Sweeteners

AbstractNone of the current sweeteners match sucrose in terms of sweet taste quality or temporal characteristics. In fact, the sensory performance of a sweetener changes over time and it could interact with other stimuli. Time–intensity (t‐I) and temporal of dominance sensation (TDS) are both dynamic sensory methods, but they give different and complementary information: t‐I focuses on the evolution of the intensity of one attribute, whereas TDS is a descriptive multi‐attribute methodology that deals with the interactions among attributes.The objectives of this study were to describe the sweetness temporal profile of a new protein‐based sweetener, MNEI, and to compare it with that of aspartame, saccharin and sucrose. First, equi‐sweetness values of MNEI and of three sweeteners were determined. Then, those concentrations were investigated: the intensity of sweetness over time was evaluated in aqueous solutions by the t‐I method; the interaction between sweetness and other sensory stimuli was evaluated in more complex solutions, containing flavoring and acidifying agents, by means of the TDS method. t‐I results showed that the sweetness provided by MNEI decreased later than the others, in different times, and it was not extinguished completely, whereas TDS results showed that the dominant attributes of model beverages were almost the same for all sweeteners.Practical ApplicationsThe structure of MNEI is completely compatible with that of natural proteins. This protein determines a sensory performance similar to that of other studied sweeteners, especially aspartame, but has been proven to be stable in heat treatment and pH changes. No off‐flavor that generally characterizes many high‐intensity sweeteners (HIS) was detected when tested by the assessors. Indeed, even if the sweetness imparted by MNEI was perceived later than the sweetness provided by sucrose, in the presence of other stimuli, no significant differences were detected. These properties could make MNEI a good choice as HIS for low‐calorie beverages and dairy products.