Abstract: The taste quality and chemical composition of commercial sugar-free green tea beverages from different producing areas were comparatively analyzed with a view to clarifying the major taste components in sugar-free green tea beverages and the differences in taste characteristics among producing regions. The results showed that no obvious variation in the taste or color of green tea beverages was observed among producing regions, and the overall taste quality of Japanese green tea beverages was superior to the others. The concentrations of tea polyphenol, caffeine, flavonoids, soluble sugar, total catechins, total flavonoid glycosides and total cations in Japanese and Chinese Taiwanese green tea beverages were significantly higher than in the ones made in mainland China. Totally 13 chemical components showed high correlations with sensory scores. The concentrations of tea polyphphenols (0.910), flavonoids (0.917), and Mn2＋ (0.912) were significantly positively correlated with the taste strength (P < 0.01). The concentration of caffeine (0.830) was significantly positively correlated with the bitterness (P < 0.01). The concentrations of vitexin-2’’-O-rhamnoside (Vit-rha) (0.862) and Al3＋ (0.811) were significantly positively correlation with the astringency (P < 0.01). The dose-over-threshold (Dot) analysis showed that flavonoids and their glycosides contributed mainly to the astringency, including quercetin-3-O-rutinoside (Que-rut), kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside (Kae-rut), quercetin-3-O-galactoside (Que-gala), quercetin-3-O-glucoside (Que-glu), myricetin-3-O-galactoside (Myr-gala), Vit-rha, of which Que-rut had the highest Dot value; and caffeine played a major role in the bitterness of sugar-free green tea beverages.

Key words: green tea beverages, sugar-free, taste characteristics, chemical composition