Sucrose Concentration and Fermentation Temperature Impact the Sensory Characteristics and Liking of Kombucha

Gil Cohen; David A Sela; Alissa A Nolden

doi:10.3390/foods12163116

Sucrose Concentration and Fermentation Temperature Impact the Sensory Characteristics and Liking of Kombucha

Foods. 2023 Aug 19;12(16):3116. doi: 10.3390/foods12163116.

Authors

Gil Cohen¹, David A Sela^{1

2

3}, Alissa A Nolden¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
² Department of Nutrition, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
³ Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.

Abstract

Kombucha is a fermented tea beverage consumed for its probiotics and functional properties. It has a unique sensory profile driven by the properties of tea polyphenols and fermentation products, including organic acids. Fermentation temperature and sucrose content affect the fermentation process and the production of organic acids; yet less is known about their impacts on the sensory profile and consumer acceptance. Thus, we aimed to examine the impact of sucrose concentration and fermentation temperature on sensory attributes and liking. For this study, kombucha tea was fermented at three different concentrations of sucrose and fermented at two temperatures for 11 days. Fermentation was monitored by pH, brix, and titratable acidity, and consumers (n = 111) evaluated the kombucha for sensory attributes and overall liking. The fermentation temperature resulted in significant differences in titratable acidity, with higher temperatures producing more organic acids, resulting in higher astringency, and suppressed sweetness. The lower fermentation was reported as significantly more liked, with no difference in liking between the 7.5% and 10% sucrose kombucha samples. Fermentation temperature had the greatest impact on the sensory profile rather than sucrose concentration, which had a greater effect on the fermentation rate and production organic acids.

Keywords: fermentation; fermented tea; physical analysis; sensory analysis; titratable acidity.

Grants and funding

A.A.N. receives funding from the Department of Food Science at University of Massachusetts Amherst and The National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Hatch project number MAS00491. D.A.S. receives funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Hatch project number MAS00556. The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA or NIFA.