What the study found
Replacing sucrose with a 1:1 mixture of erythritol and xylitol in strawberry-based fruit preparations for yogurt generally preserved quality better than omitting sucrose completely. Complete sucrose removal led to lower viscosity, lower density, higher water activity, and poorer anthocyanin retention after stress storage.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors link the study to efforts to reduce sugar intake, which they note has been associated with overweight and obesity. The study suggests that polyol substitution, rather than full sugar removal, may better maintain product quality and anthocyanin stability in these fruit preparations.
What the researchers tested
The researchers examined strawberry-based fruit preparations for yogurt under different sugar formulations: full sucrose, no sucrose, and sucrose replaced by a 1:1 mixture of erythritol and xylitol at 50% or 100% substitution. They measured viscosity, flow distance, density, water activity, sensory properties, color, and anthocyanin stability during eight weeks of storage at 37 °C.
What worked and what didn't
When sucrose was omitted completely, viscosity dropped, Bostwick flow distances increased from 7.0 to 9.8 cm/min, density fell from 1.17 to 1.03 g/cm3, and water activity rose from 0.96 to 0.99. By contrast, replacing 50% or 100% of sucrose with erythritol and xylitol lowered water activity, and 50% substitution did not produce a significant sensory difference from the full-sugar reference. After stress storage, the full-sugar variant retained about 22% of initial anthocyanins, the no-sucrose variant retained 16%, and full polyol substitution retained 25%.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not describe limitations beyond the tested formulations and storage condition. The results apply to the specific strawberry-based yogurt fruit preparations studied and to the measured properties reported here.
Key points
- Complete sucrose removal 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 sucrose.
- No significant sensory difference was found between the full-sugar reference and 50% polyol substitution.
- After eight weeks at 37 °C, anthocyanin retention was 22% with full sugar, 16% with no sucrose, and 25% with full polyol substitution.
- Water activity and anthocyanin retention showed a clear inverse correlation across formulations.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Sugar substitution preserved yogurt-preparation quality better than removal
- Authors:
- Johannes Leber, Stefan Nöbel, Peter Habermehl, Claudio Cannata, Christof B. Steingass, Ralf M. Schweiggert
- Institutions:
- Hochschule Geisenheim University, Max Rubner Institut, University of Catania
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-07
- OpenAlex record:
- View
Get the weekly research newsletter
Stay current with peer-reviewed research without reading academic papers — one filtered digest, every Friday.