Chocolate Milk with Chia Oil: Ideal Sweetness, Sweeteners Equivalence, and Dynamic Sensory Evaluation Using a Time-Intensity Methodology

The ideal sucrose concentration and equivalent concentrations of the stevia, sucralose, aspartame, and neotame in chocolate milk with chia oil as well as the dynamic behavior of certain sensory attributes were investigated using a time‐intensity methodology. The use of just‐about‐right (JAR) identified an ideal sucrose concentration of 9% (w/w). In addition, the magnitude estimation method showed that stevia had the lowest sweetness power whereas neotame presented the highest. Furthermore, the time‐intensity analysis indicated that there was no significant change between the maximum intensities of the sweetness for any evaluated sweeteners. In general, the desired sensory profile and some economic considerations are decisive on the choice of which sweetener is better to be used in chocolate milk formulation added with chia oil. Practical Application Chia seeds are considered as one of the highest sources of omega‐3 fatty acids among plants. The possibility of developing a functional chocolate milk rich in omega‐3, associated with a formulation with sweetener to reduce calories, is quite interesting and promising in the functional food sector. Chocolate milk had a great commercialization, however, must ensure that the used sweeteners have the same power of sweetness of sucrose in order to ensure consumer acceptability.