Fruit fillings development: A multiparametric approach

•Consumer preferences for fruit fillings (FF) are segmented.•Three consumer groups were identified for reformulated sugar-free FF.•Soft texture and sweet, fruity flavour of tapioca starch FF were the most liked.•Free-sugar FF need special sweet/acid balance as it is a special market niche.•Reformulation could benefit from a study of adequacy of the sensory attributes.

Fruit fillings were formulated with native tapioca starch (TS), modified waxy corn starch and a mixed system of TS plus low-methoxyl pectin, two quantity of fruit and replacement of sucrose with polydextrose and intense sweeteners.The twelve formulations were characterized with quantitative descriptive analysis and rheological and extrusion tests. Overall liking (OL) and liking of some sensory attributes were evaluated with a consumer panel (n = 100). The right level of the consistency, sweetness, acidity, and fruit flavour of each sample was evaluated with “just-about right” scales and analysed by Penalty Analysis. Hierarchical cluster analysis was applied to detect consumer groups with different preference profiles. Three clusters were found: one cluster did not like intense sweeteners; another, preferred the characteristics of the TS samples, and the third cluster did not show marked tendencies, suggesting that formulations should be adapted to each scenario.