TEMPORAL SENSORY PROFILING OF CARBOHYDRATE GELS FORMULATED WITH JABUTICABA PULP AND HONEY

Introduction. Carbohydrate gels are practical supplementation strategies widely used by athletes, and their sensory acceptance may directly influence consumption during exercise. Dynamic sensory methods provide valuable insights into how sensory perceptions evolve over time during product consumption. Objectives. This study aimed to characterize the temporal sensory profile of carbohydrate gels formulated with jabuticaba (Plinia cauliflora) pulp and honey using the Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS) and Temporal Check-All-That-Apply (TCATA) methods. Methods. The study protocol was developed according to ISO standards and approved by a Research Ethics Committee. Five carbohydrate gel formulations were produced with varying proportions of jabuticaba pulp and honey, considering 75% pulp as the target formulation. Samples (3 g) were served in coded disposable cups under controlled temperature conditions (20–25°C). Data were analyzed using Fisher’s exact test at a significance level of p ≤ 0.05. Sixty athletes participated in the sensory evaluation. Results. TDS results showed that samples 1, 2, and 3 were predominantly characterized by honey flavor perception, particularly sample 1, in which this attribute appeared early, persisted for a longer period, and reached dominance rates above 40%. Sample 3 was the only formulation exhibiting significant dominance of fruit flavor. Sample 4 was distinguished by an initial salty taste perception (<5 s), with dominance rates exceeding 40% and prolonged duration. TCATA analysis revealed that samples 4 and 5 received the highest citation frequencies for jabuticaba flavor and aroma attributes. Conclusion. These findings demonstrate that variations in the proportion of jabuticaba pulp and honey significantly influence the temporal sensory perception of carbohydrate gels. Dynamic sensory methods successfully discriminated sensory trajectories among formulations, highlighting attributes that may contribute to consumer acceptance and support the development of carbohydrate gels tailored to athletes’ sensory expectations and consumption contexts.