Abstract: Erythritol, sorbitol, maltitol, fructooligosaccharide or isomaltulose instead of sucrose was used in lotus paste filling. The effects of different sweeteners on the eating quality of lotus paste filling were investigated by gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS), an electronic tongue, a texture analyzer and sensory evaluation. The results showed that sugar alcohol sweeteners significantly increased the brightness of lotus paste filling, and fructooligosaccharide and isomaltulose deepened the color of lotus paste filling. In addition, the water content of lotus paste filling was negatively correlated with the hardness (r = −0.882, P < 0.01), but positively correlated with the adhesiveness (r = 0.620, P < 0.01) and cohesiveness (r = 0.622, P < 0.01). All functional sweeteners except erythritol increased the water content and improved the texture quality of lotus paste filling. The results of electronic tongue test showed that the functional sweeteners reduced the sweetness of lotus paste filling and helped to mask undesirable tastes such as bitterness. A total of 32 volatile substances were detected in lotus paste filling by GC-IMS, including aldehydes (53.94%–70.60%), ketones (10.36%–18.63%), alcohols (5.25%–14.25%), acids (1.62%–2.81%), esters (0.22%–0.57%), furans (0.29%–0.72%) and alkanes (0.47%–0.71%). Oligofructose and isomaltose increased the types and contents of aldehydes and ketones and enriched the flavor of lotus paste filling. The flavor of lotus paste filling with sugar alcohols was bland. Isomaltulose and fructooligosaccharide improved the quality of lotus paste filling, and therefore could be used as a substitute for sucrose in the production of low-sugar lotus paste filling.

Key words: functional sweeteners; lotus paste filling; gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry; electronic tongue; quality