Time intensity measurements demonstrate that the sweetness profile of SPLENDA® Sucralose is very similar to that of sugar (see corresponding chart--Sweetness Profiles of SPLENDA® Sucralose and sugar).
At 5% sugar equivalence, typical of sweetened tea and coffee, SPLENDA® Sucralose displays a rapid onset of sweetness and similar sweetness duration to sugar.
Flavor
In addition to sweetness, sweeteners possess a number of other tastes that give rise to an overall flavor.
To compare the flavor profiles, equisweet solutions of SPLENDA® Sucralose and sugar, equivalent to 9% sugar and prepared in water of neutral pH, were evaluated by a 12 member taste panel. The key taste attributes were assigned a score rating by each individual member and then the scores were averaged. The results shown are shown in the chart on the right (Flavor profiles of SPLENDA® Sucralose and sugar) confirm that the flavor profiles of SPLENDA® Sucralose and sugar are very similar.
Furthermore, SPLENDA® Sucralose has been shown to maintain its sweetness and flavor throughout the shelf life of food and beverage products, without the development of off-flavors.
Intensity
SPLENDA® Sucralose is a high quality sweetener with a sugar-like taste and a sweetening power of approximately 600 times that of sugar. Similar to other high potency sweeteners, the relative sweetness intensity of SPLENDA® Sucralose compared to sugar varies with concentration.
The figure at right shows a dose response curve for sucralose in plain water. This gives the approximate levels of sucralose needed to provide a certain sweetness level in water and shows that in this case, the sweetness factor ranges from about 700 to 420 times that of sugar.
The relative sweetness intensity (or sweetness factor) can also be influenced by a number of other factors including pH, temperature and the presence of food ingredients such as gelling agents, starches and fats. Allowances for these differing sweetness factors need to be made when formulating different food products.