Significant sugar-reduction in dairy products targeted at children is possible without affecting hedonic perception

Summary

The objective of the present study was to evaluate children's hedonic sensitivity to sugar reduction in three dairy products: vanilla milk desserts, chocolate-flavoured milk, and vanilla yoghurt. For each product, a regular sample and five samples with different reduction in added-sugar content were formulated. The regular sample contained the sugar content of commercial products available in the marketplace. The reduction in added-sugar content ranged between 10.0 and 41.0%. A total of 126 children (8–13 years old) participated in the study. An A-not A test was used to evaluate children's hedonic sensitivity to sugar reduction. Sugar reductions up to 27% in chocolate flavoured milk and vanilla yoghurt, and up to 19% in vanilla milk desserts, did not cause significant changes in children's hedonic reaction. These results confirm that sugar-reduction strategies can be easily implemented in the dairy industry without significant risk of affecting sample appreciation and market share.