What the study found
The study found that removing added sucrose from strawberry-based fruit preparations lowered viscosity and density, raised water activity, and reduced anthocyanin stability during storage. Replacing sucrose with a 1:1 mixture of erythritol and xylitol, which are sugar alcohols, performed better than removing sugar outright.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors link the work to the global rise in overweight and obesity associated with excessive sugar intake. The findings indicate that polyol substitution may help maintain product quality while reducing added sugar.
What the researchers tested
The researchers examined strawberry-based fruit preparations for yogurt under different sugar-reduction and substitution formulations. They measured viscosity, Bostwick flow distance, density, water activity, sensory properties, color, and anthocyanin stability after stress-test storage for eight weeks at 37 °C.
What worked and what didn't
When sucrose was omitted completely, viscosity declined, Bostwick flow distance increased from 7.0 to 9.8 cm/min, density dropped from 1.17 to 1.03 g/cm3, and water activity increased from 0.96 to 0.99. Sensory tests did not show a significant difference between the full-sugar reference and 50% sucrose substitution by polyols, and full sucrose substitution with polyols slightly improved anthocyanin retention, preserving 25% after storage versus 22% in the full-sugar variant and 16% with complete sucrose omission.
What to keep in mind
The abstract describes results for strawberry-based fruit preparations for yogurt only, so the findings may not apply beyond that product context. It also does not provide details on the size of the sensory panel or other limitations beyond the reported test conditions.
Key points
- Removing sucrose completely reduced viscosity and density and increased water activity.
- A 1:1 erythritol-xylitol mixture lowered water activity when used to replace 50% or 100% of added sucrose.
- Sensory tests found no significant difference between the full-sugar reference and 50% polyol substitution.
- After eight weeks at 37 °C, anthocyanin retention was 22% in the full-sugar variant, 16% with no sucrose, and 25% with full polyol substitution.
- Water activity and anthocyanin retention showed a strong inverse correlation across formulations.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Sugar reduction changed quality and anthocyanin stability in strawberry preparations
- Authors:
- Johannes Leber, Stefan Nöbel, Peter Habermehl, Claudio Cannata, Christof B. Steingass, Ralf M. Schweiggert
- Institutions:
- Hochschule Geisenheim University, Hochschule Geisenheim University, Hochschule Geisenheim University, Max Rubner Institut, Max Rubner Institut, University of Catania
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-07
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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