Substitution of Sugar with Different Sweetener in Gel Pudding (Carrot and Coconut Milk): A Comparative Study

Abstract

Excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened food products has become an intractable public health concern worldwide, making investigation of healthy alternatives of sweetener from natural sources. This study was carried out to find a possible replacement of white sugar in desert like products. In this experiment, different organic sweetener were used in coconut milk gel pudding as a sugar substitution to observe their effects on the nutritional qualities and sensory properties of the formulated products. Coconut milk and sugar (C1) and coconut milk, sugar and carrot (C2) were considered as control ones whereas honey and dates as replacement of sugar added in different concentration were the sample products (T1-honey 12.87%, T2-honey 10%, T3-honey 8.14%, T4-date 13%, T5-date 10.3% and T6-date 8.54%). At the end of experiment, data on physiological properties, nutritional composition, energy content, sensory evaluation, microbial load and cost analysis were collected for further assessment. The results showed that, among all formulations sample F ( date 13%) has the highest percentage of crude fiber (12.88±0.005), Vitamin A (30.85±0.05), protein (4.12±0.03), fat content (10.20±0.00), Calcium (2.98±0.02), Potassium (2.83±0.02), and Sodium (68.90±0.02) which significantly (p<0.05) differ from other samples such as- honey samples and control samples. Maximum energy content and overall acceptability were seen in the control gel pudding (C1). No yeast and mold growth was observed in either samples during 7 days of incubation. Whereas, microbial load was found to be higher in the control samples than the treatment ones. Although, increased energy content and overall acceptability rate were found in sugar based products, the nutritional value was found to be significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the treatment puddings specially the one made with date (13%). Also the microbiological content was moderate according to the food safety regulations. Moreover, the cost benefit analysis indicated that, using dates as a substitute doesn’t increase the cost of pudding per cup compared to the control cups. This study concludes that, complete replacement of white sugar in coconut carrot milk pudding improves not only the nutritional value but also the microbiological quality of the pudding.