HEDONIC THRESHOLDS AND CHECK-ALL-THAT-APPLY FOR SUCROSE REDUCTION IN PASSION FRUIT JUICE WITH ATEMOYA PULP

Introduction Reducing added sugars in fruit juices by replacing sucrose with sweet fruits may improve nutritional quality, but reformulation must preserve consumer acceptance and the sensory profile. Objective To evaluate sucrose reduction and replacement of passion fruit pulp with atemoya pulp in passion fruit juice by establishing acceptance and rejection thresholds and characterizing sensory changes. Methodology Nine formulations were developed using a Face-Centered Central Composite Design, combining sucrose (0–22.33%, w/v) and passion fruit pulp (15–30%, v/v), with atemoya pulp completing the total pulp content to 30%. One hundred passion fruit juice consumers evaluated acceptance using a hedonic scale and characterized formulations using CATA. Hedonic Threshold Methodology varying two stimuli (HTM₂s) estimated the Compromised Acceptance Threshold (CAT) and Hedonic Rejection Threshold (HRT). CATA data were analyzed by Correspondence Analysis and penalty–lift. Results Models showed excellent fit for CAT (R² = 0.95; p < 0.0001) and HRT (R² = 0.96; p < 0.0001). CAT was estimated at 11.16% sucrose with 30% passion fruit pulp and validated by F6 (11.17% sucrose; 30% passion fruit pulp), whose acceptance did not differ from the control (p > 0.05), indicating that 50% of added sucrose could be reduced. HRT was estimated at 4.49% sucrose, 28.71% passion fruit pulp, and 1.29% atemoya pulp. When maximizing atemoya incorporation, 15% of each pulp and 6.87% sucrose represented the rejection limit. CATA showed that balanced sweetness and passion fruit flavor were positively associated with acceptance, whereas lack of sweetness, sour taste, and off-flavor were negatively associated. Formulations with 15% atemoya were associated with off-flavor, heterogeneous/cloudy appearance, and mild passion fruit flavor, while F9 (7.5% atemoya) was not associated with the negative attributes. Conclusions Partial sucrose reduction was feasible while maintaining acceptance. However, atemoya incorporation should be balanced with passion fruit to reduce sensory changes that may compromise the beverage’s profile.