Effect of Sweeteners on Sensory Characteristics of Pea-Based Protein Beverages

The development of the beverage industry is currently starting to utilizing plant- based ingredients, such as peas. One of the characteristics that every nut has is the presence of off-flavors such as cardboard flavors, beany flavor, and bitter taste. This research tries to increase consumers' preference for pea-based protein beverages with the addition of natural sweeteners. For this reason, research is needed on the character of natural sweeteners that can change the character of pea-based protein beverages to be more preferable. The sweetener used in this study consisted of stevia sweetener (RA80, TS1600, TS7000, TS300, and Eversweet 02) and sucrose as a control. Sweetener testing was carried out sensorily using the Rate-All-That- Apply (RATA) method with untrained panelists. Data were analyzed using ANOVA followed by further Tukey tests. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was conducted to analyze the rata intensity data. Consumer research data were analyzed using Correspondence Analysis (CA) and Partial Least Squares regression (PLS) using XLSTAT. Through the study, it was found that stevia's natural sweeteners, especially Eversweet 02, can cover the bitter taste, beany taste, and cardboard flavor in pea-based protein beverages and increase panelists’ preference.