Probiotic clarified apple juice with oligofructose or sucralose as sugar substitutes: Sensory profile and acceptability

•Probiotic addition increased turbidity but did not change acceptability of apple juices.•Apple juices with oligofructose had less intense sweetness than juices with sucrose.•Apple juices with sucralose had a lighter colour than juices with sucrose.•Oligofructose or sucralose improved the acceptance of the pure juices.•Acceptance was driven positively by sweet taste, sweet aroma and bitter aftertaste.

The effect of the addition of oligofructose or sucralose as sugar substitutes and Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. paracasei as a probiotic on the sensory profile and acceptance of clarified apple juice were evaluated. The influence of the sensory attributes on the acceptability was also determined. Juices with oligofructose (20 g/L) showed less sweetness than those with sucrose (20 g/L), while those with sucralose (0.03 g/L) had a lighter colour. Oligofructose or sucralose contributed to the increased acceptance (taste and overall impression) of the pure juices, making it similar to that of the sucrose-product. There were no differences in the acceptance of the appearance, aroma or texture. The probiotic increased the turbidity of the juice, however, it did not alter the acceptance (appearance, aroma, flavour, texture and overall impression). The acceptance was driven positively by sweet taste, sweet aroma and bitter aftertaste, and negatively by apple flavour, apple aroma, darker colour and sour taste, verified by PLS. It was possible to develop a synbiotic apple juice that showed a similar sensory profile (except presence of particles and turbidity) and acceptance to that of the sucrose-added juice by adding L. paracasei as a probiotic culture and oligofructose as a sugar substitute and prebiotic.