Food Science Research Project

Food Science Research Project: Alternative Sweeteners 1 Running Head: FOOD SCIENCE RESEARCH ON ALTERNATIVE SWEETENERS Food Science Research Project Alternative Sweeteners in Pound Cake Libby Sells Miami University, KNH 404 Professor Minges December 4, 2013

Food Science Research Project: Alternative Sweeteners 2 INTRODUCTION Obesity is known to cause a variety of health conditions including metabolic syndrome, type two diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. The World Health Organization estimates in 2008 nearly two hundred million men and three hundred million women worldwide were obese, with over forty three million children also being obese (Ahima, 2011). In America alone, thirty-five percent of the adult population is considered to be obese (Palou and Bonet, 2013). Obesity is known to be caused by diets that are high in calories and low in physical activity, and chronic consumption of fatty foods and foods like desserts and cakes which are high in fructose increase a person s chance for obesity because of the high amounts of calories they contain. Research on low calorie natural and artificial sweeteners has become increasingly important because today, people are more informed about diet and overall health as well as the causes and consequences of obesity, and as a result there has been an increase in the demand for foods that are lower in fat, sugar, and calories. These health conscious consumers as well as those already suffering from obesity and obesity related disease have created a huge market for reduced sugar and sugar free foods, especially desserts and soft drinks which are known to normally be high in sugar and calories (Winkelhausen et al., 2007). Low calorie natural and artificial sweeteners like stevia, xylitol, and acesulfame-k have become increasingly popular replacements for sugar in a wide variety of foods like soft drinks, cakes, and other desserts. While there exists much research on applications of alternative sweeteners, not much is known on the exact impact they have on the moisture content of cakes. There is also a

Food Science Research Project: Alternative Sweeteners 3 significant amount of information on how artificial sweeteners affect the texture and aftertaste of cakes, but not much research has been done on which artificial sweeteners affect cake characteristics more or less when compared with one another. As a result, more laboratory research is needed to uncover the impact different artificial sweeteners have on pound cake, as well as which artificial sweeteners have the least bitter aftertaste and create the most tender and best flavored cakes. Statement of the Problem The purpose of this study is to create a high quality pound cake low in sugar. Hypotheses Based on information from the current current literature available on alternative sweeteners effectiveness in baking, three hypotheses were developed for this study: 1. Of the three sugar alternatives used, xylitol will produce the most moist cake 2. The cake with the darkest color will be given the highest ratings on sweetness by the sensory panel 3. The cake containing stevia will be recognized as having the most bitter aftertaste by the taste panel Definition of Terms Stevia in the Raw: A one hundred percent natural, zero-calorie sweetener. It is a natural extract from the sweet leaves of the stevia plant. It is approximately three hundred times sweeter than table sugar, and can be used for equal replacement of sugar in recipes. It has a moisture content of 9.37% (Manisha et al., 2012). Xylitol: A non-fermentable sugar alcohol naturally found in fruits and vegetables. It contains 2.4 kilocalories of energy. Xylitol has as a very low glycemic index of seven, and has proven dental benefits (Torres et al., 2013).

Food Science Research Project: Alternative Sweeteners 4 Equal: A brand of zero calorie artificial sweetener containing aspartame, dextrose and maltodextrin. Equal is typically not used alone in cooking, but is often combined and a major sweetener in diet soft drink (Michael, 2013). Sweet One: Also known as acesulfame potassium. It contains four calories per gram, but can be added at almost 200 times lower levels to achieve the same sweetness as sucrose. Tends to be bitter, and is often combined with other alternative sweeteners (Shim et al., 2008). Maillard Reaction: A form of non-enzymatic browning resulting from a reaction of amino acids (protein), a reducing sugar, and usually heat (Michael, 2013).

Food Science Research Project: Alternative Sweeteners 5 REVIEW OF LITERATURE Cakes are very important bakery products, and their worldwide market grows every year. As a result, people baking cakes have aimed to adhere to the product standards for high quality cakes which have been established. A high quality cake must have a fine, uniform and porous crumb structure. It should also have a high volume and be tender, as well as relatively dense. High quality cakes should have a soft texture and a clean mouthfeel. While moisture varies depending on cake type, a cakes final moisture content typically falls between eighteen and twenty-eight percent (Wilderjans et al., 2012). With respect to color, a high quality cake should have a light, golden brown color on the surface (Shirmer, 2012). Pound cakes are especially sweet and more firm and dense then other cakes, and should not crumble when cut into. Pound cakes are also characterized by a cracked top (Kumari et al., 2011). Pound cake is a cake traditionally containing eggs, sugar, flour, and butter. Butter and sugar are creamed together first, and eggs are added one at a time and mixed in well. Dry ingredients like flour and salt are then mixed together and gradually added to the creamed mixture. In almond pound cake, almond extract, almond paste, and baking powder is also added with the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. The cake is usually baked in a loaf or a Bundt pan, and powdered sugar or fruit is typically served on top of the dessert. Sugar is an important part of many foods, but is perhaps most recognized for its role in batter and dough products, especially cakes. It is a key ingredient in achieving all the product standards for high quality cakes. Sucrose is the most common type of sugar used when baking cakes. It imparts sweetness in the product, provides a good grain structure, plays a role in the Maillard reaction to brown the crust and crumb of the product, and is a

Food Science Research Project: Alternative Sweeteners 6 tenderizer because it competes with gluten for liquid (Michael, 2013). The quality of a cake is related to its aerated structure, which is achieved by the incorporating air in the batter during mixing as well as the development of bubbles during the baking process (Kumari et al., 2011). When mixing cake batter, sugar promotes the breakdown of fat crystals, helping to create the optimal fat crystal size for air incorporation. Once eggs are added into the mixture, the sugar dissolves to provide more solvent which decreases batter viscosity and stability, and at this point the sugar begins to compete with gluten for liquid, thereby resulting in a reduction of gluten development. Sugar also delays gelatinization temperature of starch and limits the swelling of starch molecules because of its ability to set starch gelatinization to higher temperatures by limiting water availability and therefore lowering water activity. This delay of starch gelatinization at higher temperatures allows the development of air bubbles and results in the porous structure of a cake, while impacting the final volume of a cake by controlling oven rise, structure fixation, and collapse (Wilderjans et al., 2012) While sugar is a main ingredient in many foods like cakes and desserts, its highly caloric contribution to these foods contributes to the increase energy intake of many people, which can lead to obesity and a wide variety of chronic health conditions like type two diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. These chronic conditions are all too prevalent in the United States. Adults over the age of twenty reported consuming more than three hundred calories from sugary foods alone each day, resulting in a total sugar consumption of over one hundred and thirty pounds a year (Michael, 2013). Consequently, two groups of people have increasingly demanded lower calorie and lower sugar foods: the health conscious looking to prevent the development of chronic diseases related to obesity, and those already suffering

Food Science Research Project: Alternative Sweeteners 7 from such diseases (Manisha et al., 2012). Diabetes is one chronic condition which has spurred the development of sugar alternatives. Though a common misconception sugar directly causes diabetes, people suffering from the condition must carefully watch and limit the amount of sugar they consume in their diets because sugar raises a person s blood glucose, which can cause serious problems for diabetics whose bodies inadequately deal with glucose in the blood (Casey, 2011). Since the link between high caloric sugary foods, obesity, and chronic disease has been discovered, over two thousand reduced sugar and sugar free foods have been created (Michael, 2013), with many of these foods being desserts and bakery products made by the modification of natural products and the substitution of artificial agents. Natural sweeteners include polyols (sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, erythritol, lactitol, maltitol), stevioside, and thaumatins, while artificial sweeteners include aspartame, sucralose and acesulfame-k (Manisha et al., 2012). Sugar is often the ingredient present in the highest individual amount in a pound cake. It serves many purposes in cakes including sweetening, browning, and tenderizing, and it directly affects the product s final volume and structure. Without sugar, there would be no sweetness to the cake and no browning because the Maillard reaction would not be able to occur. The final product would also experience a decrease in volume and tenderness, and would have a poor form and structure if sugar were to be entirely omitted. However, sugar can be easily substituted with artificial and natural sweeteners in order to create high quality cakes.

Food Science Research Project: Alternative Sweeteners 8 Stevioside is one natural sweetener that has recently increased in popularity because of its effectiveness in replacing sugar during baking. From the leaves of the stevia rebaudiana plant, it is a zero calorie sweetener approximately three hundred times sweeter than table sugar and is marketed under the brands Stevia in the Raw, Truvia, and Sun Crystals. Research shows that the benefits of stevia include the reduction of obesity and high blood pressure, and it has also been deemed as an effective sugar substitutes for those with diabetes (Manisha et al., 2012), because it can increase glucose tolerance and decrease plasma glucose concentrations in diabetics, along with producing a direct effect on beta cells in the pancreas to encourage it to release insulin (Goyal et al., 2010). In baking, it has a moisture content of 9.37%, and many people report a bitter aftertaste when consuming products containing the sweetener. When substituted for sugar in cakes, problems were found with stevia because it decreased batter stability during the heating stage due to a batter viscosity decrease and foam bubble size increase. It also decreased the body weight of the cake, and caused poor aeration and cell structure compared to the control. As the percent of stevia replacement increased, prevalence of a dull brown crust color, uneven crust shape, dull white crumb color, and nonuniform crumb grain increased (Manisha et al. 2013). Xylitol is a non-fermentable sugar alcohol naturally found in fruits and vegetables. It has a sweetness comparable to sucrose but only contains 2.4 kilocalories of energy. Xylitol has been marketed as being safe for diabetics and those with hyperglycemia because it is absorbed slowly into the blood stream as it has a very low glycemic index of seven. It is also unique among alternative sweeteners because of its proven dental benefits. Due to its chemical structure, xylitol is able to remineralize tooth enamel before dental decay and caries

Food Science Research Project: Alternative Sweeteners 9 can form. In studies where xylitol is a main ingredient in chewing gum, participants who chewed this gum experienced almost two fewer dental cavities compared to those who chewed gum not containiing xylitol. Not much research has been done regarding xylitol s application in baking. What is known is that it cannot be used to products containing yeast, because it interferes with bacteria growth and reproduction. In several studies, xylitol has proven useful in baked goods because it does not lighten products as much as other alternative sweeteners do. It also is not reported to have an aftertaste, which is very important especially in batter and dough products where sugar is typically present in high amounts (Torres et al., 2013). Acesulfame-k is another low calorie sweetener, marketed under the brand names Sweet One and Sunsettle. It contains four calories per gram, but although it yields the same caloric intake as sugar on a weight to weight basis, it can be added at almost two hundred times lower levels and achieve the same sweetness, thereby providing a far lower net caloric intake (Shim et al., 2008). It is also two hundred times more sweet than table sugar (Michael, 2013). Acesulfame-K tends to be bitter; this bitterness is concentration dependent, so one solution to reduce bitterness is to mix the acesulfame-k with other sweeteners (Allen et al., 2013). Often this bitterness is subject to personal taste and opinions. In a study by Tamer (2011), acesulfame-k was found to create a low calorie pumpkin dessert with a caloric reduction value of fifty-five percent. Additionally, there were no statistically significant differences of odor, taste and texture of the pumpkin product. However, sweetness decreased when acesulfame-k was substituted for sugar in the recipe. By combining it with other sweeteners, the overall sweetness of the product increased and the bitterness decreased.

Food Science Research Project: Alternative Sweeteners 10 In cakes, there are several sweeteners that can be used as replacements for sugar. Sweeteners like acesulfame-k, xylitol, and stevioside can all be used in creating cakes comparable to the standard. However, each of these sweeteners has its drawbacks and affect baked goods negatively in different ways. Therefore, in order to create high quality cakes, they may be combined with other sweeteners or not used to completely replace sugar in a cake recipe.

Food Science Research Project: Alternative Sweeteners 11 PROCEDURE This research experience on the effect of three different alternative sweeteners in pound cake was conducted in the food science laboratory at Miami University over a period of three different trial days spanning a week and a half. The variations prepared included: 1. Stevioside (Stevia in the Raw) for 100% replacement of sugar 2. Xylitol for 100% replacement of sugar 3. Acesulfame-K (Sweet One) for 50% replacement of sugar and Aspartame (Equal) for 50% replacement of sugar *Twenty-four packet of each sweetener to produce equivalent of one cup of sugar To prepare the almond pound cake, butter was first softened in the microwave in a glass measuring cup for twenty seconds on a medium-high microwave setting. Each alternative sweetener was measured out using a scale and measuring cup. Butter and sugar were creamed together using an electric hand mixer and a clear glass mixing bowl. Eggs were then added one at a time and beaten in well using the electric mixer. Following the addition of the eggs, the almond extract and water were weighed and added to the wet mixture. Dry ingredients like baking powder, flour and salt were then weighed and mixed together in a clear glass mixing bowl using a wooden spoon. The dry ingredients were then gradually added to the creamed mixture, with a third of the dry ingredients being added at one time. The wet and dry ingredients were mixed together with the wooden spoon. The batter for each type of alternative sweetener was placed into a 9x5 loaf pan using a plastic scraper and baked for forty-five minutes in an oven preheated to three hundred and fifty degrees. The loaf pan was previously greased using non-stick cooking spray, unsalted butter, and all-purpose flour. When the variations were taken out of the oven, they were allowed to

Food Science Research Project: Alternative Sweeteners 12 cool in their loaf pans on a cooling rack for fifteen minutes before they were removed from their pans for any objective or subjective tests. The accuracy of the oven was tested at the beginning of each trial day with a thermometer. When creaming the butter and the alternative sweetener together for each variation, the electric mixer was used for thirty-five seconds on low speed. When each egg was added to the sweetener and butter, it was mixed in for twelve seconds on low speed before the next egg was added. After the extract and water was added to the wet mixture, ingredients were stirred for forty-five seconds on medium-high power using the electric mixer. Additionally, the same number of stirs using the wooden spoon remained constant. After all dry ingredients were combined, they were mixed using forty strokes of the wooden spoon. Loaf pans for the three variations were placed on the top rack of the oven and the rack was on the second highest position from the top of the oven. The three variations were all put in and taken out of the oven at the same time, and their positions were rotated in the oven every fifteen minutes to ensure identical cooking conditions. The same oven, utensils, and ingredient brands were used each trial day, and ingredients were all weighed using metric measurements to ensure accuracy. Also, each variation had its own glass mixing bowl, wooden spoon, and plastic scraper, and the electric mixture was cleaned before being used on each variation. Each step in the procedure was completed on each variation before the next step is began. Procedures and conditions were the same for each trial and each trial day, except for the type of alternative sweetener which was varied in the creaming step of the procedure. Stevioside was identified by the symbol X in all objective tests and sensory evaluations. Xylitol was given the symbol O and the acesulfame-k/ aspartame combination was identified with a Y in testing.

Food Science Research Project: Alternative Sweeteners 13 Several objective tests were used in this experiment. Moistness was tested objectively by the determination of the cakes water content by drying the product thoroughly. A 2x2 inch section from the center of each cake was weighed in grams using an electric scale, dried in a microwave using ten second intervals, and then reweighed until the weight stayed within 0.1 grams of the previous weight. The same scale, microwave and microwave time, and medium-high microwave setting was used for each variation and trial day. The cake with the greatest change in moisture represented the most moist product. Percent moisture was defined as: (Initial weight-final weight)/ (Initial Weight) x 100. This test was performed once for each cake, and the results from the three trial days were averaged for the most accurate result. Color was also measured objectively using a Photovolt 577, which measures the lightness or darkness of a product based on the amount of light reflected. A lighter colored product represented by a higher reading from the instrument indicated a smaller degree of browning on the surface of the cake. A 2x2 inch middle portion of the cake as well as a 2x2 inch middle section of each shortest side of the cake was tested with the Photovolt. A reading was obtained by placing the cake portions on top of the counter, and placing the Photovolt sensor just above the surface of the top of the cake samples. The green filter for color, opacity, and reflectance was used. At the end of each trial day, these nine values were averaged for the most representative rating of lightness. A sensory panel was also used to supplement information obtained by the objective tests, and served to evaluate several additional cake characteristics. The panel was made up of four students in the Advanced Food Science course at Miami University. Since they were knowledgeable about different aspects of food science like quality standards in cakes, they

Food Science Research Project: Alternative Sweeteners 14 only received several minutes of training and instruction before they tested the product variations. They were shown pictures and given standards for a high quality pound cake for reference. The scorecard was also shown to each panel member, and any question about the scorecard was answered. The panel used a five point hedonistic scale on a scorecard to evaluate the pound cakes on moistness, sweetness, crust color, aftertaste, and tenderness. Symbols of X, O, and Y were used to identify each alternative sweetener variation so the panel did not know which variation they are testing. These symbols remained the same on each trial day. Cake samples were large enough that each panel member could have two bites. Samples were served on identical, white, styrofoam plates. Each plate was labeled with the sample s respective symbol.

Food Science Research Project: Alternative Sweeteners 15 RESULTS AND ANALYSIS After the three trial days were complete, results were compiled and analyzed in order to assess whether or not they supported the hypotheses made. To assess the moisture content of the alternative sweetener variations, the almond pound cake samples were subjected to a process of thorough drying in a microwave and weighing on an electric scale. Detailed results of the process are presented in Table 1.1 and a summary of the moisture percentage averages from the three trial days are presented in Table 1.2. Results indicate the variation made with xylitol was the most moist cake, while the variation made with stevia resulted in the least moist cake. Results support the hypothesis that xylitol would result in the most moist cake when subjective to objective measurements. Table 1.1 Weight Changes and Moisture Content of Pound Cake Samples 1,2 Weight (g) After: Stevia 11/18 Xylitol 11/18 Equal /Sweet One 11/18 Stevia 11/20 Xylitol 11/20 Equal/ Sweet One 11/20 Stevia 11/25 Xylitol 11/25 Equal/ Sweet One 11/25 0 s 17.35 25.40 21.70 28.46 21.80 33.61 22.14 30.34 27.28 10 s 16.61 22.42 19.73 27.00 19.96 32.43 20.54 28.46 25.99 20 s 14.98 19.21 16.95 25.77 17.77 30.29 17.79 25.67 24.55 30 s 13.34 17.94 14.21 23.11 15.68 26.21 16.00 21.43 22.90 40 s 11.79 16.29 13.13 19.29 14.49 24.77 15.21 20.99 20.21 50 s 11.77 16.21 12.99 19.2 13.22 23.29 14.48 20.98 18.36 60 s 11.76 12.98 13.20 23.28 14.45 18.33 % Moisture 32.2 36.2 39.4 32.4 39.4 30.7 34.7 30.9 32.8 1Values represent weights of variations with respect to change of time. Percent moisture is listed at the bottom, and is a reflection of the weight changes. 2Percent Moisture is defined as: (Initial weight-final weight)/ (Initial Weight) x 100

Food Science Research Project: Alternative Sweeteners 16 Table 1.2 Three Day Average of Moisture Content for Almond Pound Cake Variations 1,2 Variation Moisture Percent Stevia in the Raw (Stevia) 33.1% Xylitol 35.5% Equal/Sweet One (Aspartame and Asulfame-k) 34.2% 1Values represent the average values for three days of testing by thorough drying of product to determine moisture content 2 Percent Moisture is defined as: (Initial weight-final weight)/ (Initial Weight) x 100 The second objective test performed was done using the Photovolt 577 in order to measure the lightness and darkness of the top of the pound cake variations. Results of the Photovolt from individual trial days are presented in Table 2.1, with the three day trial averages for lightness values can be found in Table 2.2. Results indicate the variation made with xylitol had the darkest crust color, while the variation made with Stevia had the lightest crust color. Table 2.1 Lightness Values of Pound Cake Samples as Reported by Photovolt 577 1,2 Stevia 11/18 Xylitol 11/18 Equal/ Sweet One 11/18 Stevia 11/20 Xylitol 11/20 Equal/ Sweet One 11/20 Stevia 11/25 Xylitol 11/25 Equal /Sweet One 11/25 Middle Section End Section 1 End Section 2 98.9 Y 55.6 Y 89.3 Y 98.7 Y 54.3 Y 87.7 Y 96.5 Y 60.2 Y 74.6 Y 95.6 Y 46.7 Y 95.1 Y 91.4 Y 51.2 Y 82.6 Y 97.8 Y 55.7 Y 83.6 Y 96.0 Y 51.2 Y 85.3 Y 93.5 Y 48.7 Y 85.1 Y 92.8 Y 52.2 Y 83.5 Y Average For Day 96.8 Y 51.2 Y 89.9 Y 94.5 Y 51.4 Y 85.1 Y 95.7 Y 56.0 Y 80.6 Y 1Values represent lightness values from individual trial days. Higher values indicate a greater degree of lightness. 2Measurements for lightness obtained using a green filter on the Photovolt 577

Food Science Research Project: Alternative Sweeteners 17 Table 2.2 Average Lightness Values of Pound Cake Samples as Reported by Photovolt 577 1,2 Variation Lightness Value Stevia in the Raw (Stevia) Xylitol 95.7 Y 52.9 Y Equal/Sweet One (Aspartame and Asulfame-k) 85.2 Y 1Values represent the average values from three trial days. Higher values indicate a greater degree of lightness. 2Measurements for lightness obtained using a green filter on the Photovolt 577 To further test hypotheses, a sensory panel was used to evaluate several characteristics of the pound cake variations. Average values for each characteristics on each trial day are presented in Table 3.1, while averages for all three days for each characteristic and variation are shown in Table 3.2. For color of crust, results indicate the xylitol variation had the most golden brown crust, while the stevia variation had the least golden brown crust. For moistness, results show xylitol produced the most moist crust, while the stevia variation was the least moist. With respect to tenderness, the xylitol variation was the most tender, and the stevia and Equal/Sweet One variations were both the least tender. For sweetness, results indicate the cake made with Equal/ Sweet One produced the sweetest cake, and the stevia variation was rated as being the least sweet by the sensory panel. Lastly, the cake made with xylitol had the least evidence of an aftertaste, and the stevia variation had the most pronounced aftertaste. Results from the sensory panel support the hypothesis that the cake containing stevia would be recognized as having the most bitter aftertaste by the taste panel. Sensory panel results also support the hypothesis that xylitol would produce the most moist cake. However, sensory panel results as well as the objective results from the Photovolt do not support the

Food Science Research Project: Alternative Sweeteners 18 hypothesis that the cake with the darkest color would be given the highest ratings on sweetness by the sensory panel. While the xylitol variation had the lowest and therefore darkest ratings according to the Photovolt, it was only rated as the second sweetest cake variation by the sensory panel. Table 3.1 Daily Averages for Sensory Panel Ratings for Quality Characteristics of Pound Cake Color of Crust Moistness Tenderness Sweetness Aftertaste Stevia 11/18 2.0 3.3 3.5 3.0 1.5 Xylitol 11/18 4.8 4.5 4.3 3.8 3.8 Equal/Sweet One 11/18 2.5 2.8 3.3 4.0 4.3 Stevia 11/20 1.8 3.3 3.5 3.8 1.3 Xylitol 11/20 4.0 4.3 4.3 3.2 4.3 Equal/Sweet One 11/20 2.5 3.3 3.5 3.3 3.5 Stevia 11/25 1.8 3.5 4.3 3.3 2.0 Xylitol 11/25 4.0 4.5 4.3 4.3 4.5 Equal/Sweet One 11/25 3.5 3.6 4.5 4.0 4.3 1Scores represent means of each trial day of testing by four panelists. 2 Scores based on a 5 point hedonic scale, where 5=the most desirable characteristics, and 1= the least desirable characteristics. 3Refer to APPENDIX I for more detailed scorecard information and scoring scale.

Food Science Research Project: Alternative Sweeteners 19 Table 3.2 Three Day Averages for Sensory Panel Ratings for Quality Characteristics of Pound Cake1,2,3 Variation Color of Crust Moistness Tenderness Sweetness Aftertaste Stevia in the Raw 1.8 3.3 3.8 3.3 1.6 Xylitol 4.3 4.4 4.3 3.7 4.2 Equal/Sweet One 3.6 3.2 3.8 3.8 4.0 1Scores represent mean of three trial days of testing by four panelists. 2 Scores based on a 5 point hedonic scale, where 5=the most desirable characteristics, and 1= the least desirable characteristics. 3Refer to APPENDIX I for more detailed scorecard information and scoring scale.

Food Science Research Project: Alternative Sweeteners 20 CONCLUSION When Stevia in the Raw, Xylitol, and Equal and Sweet One were substituted for sugar in an almond pound cake recipe, the variation using xylitol produced the most moist, tender, and golden brown cake, and had the least presence of a bitter aftertaste. These results are supported by both sensory panel scores and objective measurements. Subjective and objective results reveal that stevia produced a cake which was the least moist, tender, golden brown, and had the highest prevalence of a bitter aftertaste. The cake made with Equal and Sweet One (acesulfame-k and aspartame) resulted in the sweetest cake variation. The purpose of this study was to produce a high quality pound cake. This goal was nearly accomplished, however the ratings of sweetness for the xylitol variation just fell short of being high enough to produce an overall high quality cake. However, xylitol produced a product that would likely be an acceptable replacement for standard pound cake by diabetics, because a serving of the cake would not contain any sugar, a one hundred percent decrease from pound cakes made with sucrose.

Food Science Research Project: Alternative Sweeteners 21 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH After this research project was complete, further research on the topic of alternative sweeteners in recommended. Since none of the alternative sweeteners received sensory panel scores high enough to be considered a high quality product, more research is advised to see if high quality pound cakes can be created using twenty-five, fifty, and seventy-five percent substitutions of alternative sweeteners like stevia, xylitol, and acesulfame-k for sucrose in pound cakes. These alterations could still prove to be healthier alternatives for those who are obese and suffering from obesity-related diseases. Since the stevia variation had a very pronounced aftertaste, research on what kinds of alternative sweeteners it could be combined with in order to reduce bitterness is suggested. The alternative sweetener variations used in this experiment could also be tested in other batter and dough products like cookies and bread in order to see if they could create high quality products. Additionally, experiments combining several different types of alternative sweeteners could be performed in order to develop high quality almond pound cakes. Sucralose (Splenda), maltitol, and mannitol are just a few alternative sweeteners that could be investigated.

Food Science Research Project: Alternative Sweeteners 22 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY There were very few limitations of this study. One limitation, however, occurred because only one oven was used, the oven door had to be opened several times so that the variations could be rotated to ensure equal baking conditions. The opening of the oven door could have resulted in altered levels of browning and moisture content. Also, the samples were put out at the same time each trial day, but not all sensory panel members could taste the samples immediately after they were put out. As a result, sample members could have tried samples at different temperatures, which could have impacted their sensory ratings of the variations.

Food Science Research Project: Alternative Sweeteners 23 APPENDIX I SCORECARD FOR ALMOND POUND CAKE Name of Panelist: Date: Directions: Please evaluate the samples first by sight then by taste and place a number 1-5 you feel best describes the characteristic in the appropriate square. Judge these samples, identified X, O, and Y against the standards for high quality pound cake that were given. COLOR OF CRUST 1=Not Golden Brown 2=Vaguely Golden Brown 3= Moderately Golden Brown 4= Mostly Golden Brown 5=All Golden Brown MOISTNESS 1=Not Moist 2=Vaguely Moist 3=Moderately Moist 4= Moist 5=Very Moist TENDERNESS 1=Not Tender 2=Vaguely Tender 3=Moderately Tender 4=Tender 5=Very Tender SWEETNESS 1=Not Sweet 2=Vaguely Sweet 3=Moderately Sweet 4=Sweet 5=Very Sweet AFTERTASTE 1=Very Strong Aftertaste 2=Strong Aftertaste 3=Moderate Aftertaste 4=Slight Aftertaste 5=No Aftertaste X O Y

Food Science Research Project: Alternative Sweeteners 24 Standard Recipe for Almond Pound Cake Ingredients 236.59 ml sugar 177.44 ml butter 3 large eggs 4.92 ml almond extract 44.37 ml water 236.59 ml flour 7.39 ml baking powder 1.23 ml salt APPENDIX II Directions Preheat the oven to 325 F. Butter and flour a loaf pan or small square pan (8"x8").Cream the butter and sugar.beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the almond extract and the water. Stir together the flour, ground almonds and baking powder. Stir this into the wet ingredients. Pour evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes for a loaf pan. i. From Sanders, 2013

Food Science Research Project: Alternative Sweeteners 25 Original Nutrition Information APPENDIX III i. From Sanders, 2013

Food Science Research Project: Alternative Sweeteners 26 REFERENCES Ahima, R. (2011). Digging deeper into obesity. The Journal Of Clinical Investigation, 121(6), 2076-2079. doi:10.1172/jci58719 Allen, A. L., McGeary, J. E., Knopik, V. S., & Hayes, J. E. (2013). Bitterness of the nonnutritive sweetener acesulfame potassium varies WithpPolymorphisms in TAS2R9 and TAS2R31. Chemical Senses, 38(5), 379-389. Casey, G. (2011). The sugar disease-understanding type 2 diabetes mellitus. Kai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand, 17(2), 16-21. Goyal, S. K., Samsher, & Goyal, R. K. (2010). Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) a bio-sweetener: a review. International Journal Of Food Sciences & Nutrition, 61(1), 1-10. Jia, C., Kim, Y., Huang, W., & Huang, G. (2011). Sensory and instrumental assessment of Chinese moon cake: Influences of almond flour, maltitol syrup, fat, and gums. Food Research International, 41(9), 930-936. Kumari, R., Jeyarani, T.T., Soumya, C.C., & Indrani, D.D. (20122). Use of vegetable oils, emulsifiers, and hydrocolloids on rheological, fatty acid profil, and wuality characteristics of pound cake. Journal Of Texture Studies, 42(5), 377-386. doi:10.1111/j. 1745-4603.2011.00297.x Manisha, G. G., Soumya, C. C., & Indrani, D. D. (2012). Studies on interaction between stevioside, liquid sorbitol, hydrocolloids and emulsifiers for replacement of sugar in cakes. Food Hydrocolloids, 29(2), 363-373. doi:10.1016/j.foodhyd.2012.04.011 Michael, C. KNH 404 Advanced Food Science, Course Manual, pp.316-370. Fall Semester, 2013, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. Palou, A., & Bonet, M. (2013). Challenges in obesity research. Nutricion Hospitalaria, 28144-153. doi:10.3305/nh.2013.28.sup5.6869 Psimouli, V. V., & Oreopoulou, V. V. (2012). The effect of alternative sweeteners on batter rheology and cake properties. Journal Of The Science Of Food And Agriculture, 92(1), 99-105. doi:10.1002/jsfa.4547

Food Science Research Project: Alternative Sweeteners 27 Schirmer, M., Jekle, M., Becker, T., & Arendt, E. (2012). Physicochemical interactions of polydextrose for sucrose replacement in pound cake. Food Research International, 48 (1), 291-298. doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2012.05.003 Shim, J. Y., Cho, I. K., Khurana, H. K., Li, Q. X., & Jun, S. S. (2008). Attenuated total reflectance fourier transform infrared spectroscopy coupled with multivariate analysis for measurement of acesulfame-k in diet foods. Journal Of Food Science, 73 (5), C426-C431. doi:10.1111/j.1750-3841.2008.00751.x Tamer, C., Incedayi, B., Parseker Yonel, S., Yonak, S., & Copur, O. (2010). Evaluation of several quality criteria of low calorie pumpkin dessert. Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca, 38(1), 76-80 Torres, M. D., Raymundo, A. A., & Sousa, I. I. (2013). Effect of sucrose, stevia and xylitol on rheological properties of gels from blends of chestnut and rice flours. Carbohydrate Polymers, 98(1), 249-256. doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2013.06.018 Wilderjans, E., Luyts, A., Brijs, K., & Delcour, J. (2012). Ingredient functionality in batter type cake making. Trends In Food Science & Technology, 30(1), 6-15. Winkelhausen, E., Jovanovic-Malinovska, R., Velickova, E., & Kuzmanova, S. (2007). Sensory and microbiological quality of a baked product containing xylitol as an alternative sweetener. International Journal Of Food Properties, 10(3), 639-649. doi: 10.1080/10942910601098031

Food Science Research Project: Alternative Sweeteners 28 OTHER REFERENCES Sanders, J. (2003, July 26). Almond pound cake. Retrieved from http://www.food.com/ recipeprint.do?rid=67538&scaleto=8.0&mode=metric