Effect of Sucralose and Psyllium on the Stability of Strawberry Dessert

Introduction. Desserts with reduced added sugar and increased dietary fiber content are in demand; however, existing research primarily focuses either on replacing sucrose with sweeteners or on the use of dietary fiber alone. The combined effect of these modifications on the quality attributes and storage stability of berry-based desserts remains insufficiently studied.

Purpose. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of sucralose and psyllium on the properties and stability of a quick-frozen strawberry dessert during storage.

Materials and Methods. Desserts formulated with quick-frozen strawberries (sucrose/sucralose; ± psyllium) were packaged in glass containers and stored at 23 ± 2°C for 29 months. The following parameters were assessed: sensory properties, soluble solids, sugars, titratable acidity, dietary fiber, ash, vitamin C, phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, and color (CIEL*a*b*, ΔE). Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (p < 0.05).

Results. Replacing sucrose with sucralose reduced soluble solids by a factor of 1.3-2.6 and sugars by a factor of 2.7-2.9, while phenolic compound content increased by a factor of 1.4-2.0 and anthocyanins by a factor of 1.6–2.3; however, product consistency deteriorated substantially. The addition of psyllium increased dietary fiber content by a factor of 4.6-4.8 (soluble fraction by a factor of 9.2-9.8) and ash content by a factor of 1.1-1.6, improving consistency and appearance. The combination of sucralose and psyllium yielded a high overall sensory score, which was maintained after 29 months of storage, along with greater retention of vitamin C and anthocyanins and less pronounced changes in titratable acidity (losses of 28%, 32%, and 13.8%, respectively); ΔE_t was 2.59.

Conclusion. Sucralose and psyllium enable recipe modification of the dessert, characterized by a reduced sugar content and an increased dietary fiber content, while the addition of psyllium contributed to maintaining product homogeneity and quality under the studied storage conditions. The results can be used in the development of dessert products with targeted compositional parameters and stable quality indicators during storage.

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