Table 3.

Definitions and reference materials for the descriptive attributes of sweetener samples

Attributes	Definition	Reference materials	Scale value (0–15)
Taste
Sweetness	Fundamental taste sensation of which sucrose is typical	2% (w/v1) sucrose (CJ CheilJedang Co., Ltd., Korea), 5% and 10% sucrose in water	3.4, 7.5, and 13.5
Bitterness	Fundamental taste sensation of which caffeine and quinine is typical	0.03% (w/v) caffeine (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA) in water	11.3
Sourness	Fundamental taste sensation of which citric flavor is typical	0.03% (w/v) citric acid (RZBC Co., Ltd., China) in water	13.5
Flavor
Honey  flavor	Honey flavor typically found in Acacia honey	2% (w/v) acacia honey (Seoraksanmilbongwon, Korea) in water	11.3
Trigeminal senses
Astringency	The feeling which shrivels the tongue associated with aluminum potassium sulfate	0.1% (w/v) aluminum potassium sulfate (Daejung Chemicals & Metals Co., Gyeonggi-do, Korea.) in water	15
Acridness	Sharp, irritating, or biting sensation on the tongue	10% (w/v) erythritol (Zibo Zhongshi Green Biotech Co., Ltd., China) in water	7.5
Mouthfeel
Body	Rate of sample flow on the tongue	1.5 g potato starch (potato starch, Sunginfood, Gyeounggi-do, Korea) and 500 mL water (boiled on a low heat with stirring for ~ 5 min)	N/A2
Temporal aspect
Sweet aftertaste	Sweet taste for 5 s after expectoration	0.05% (w/v) aspartame (The Nutrasweet Co., USA) in water	13.75
Bitter aftertaste	Bitter taste for 5 s after expectoration	0.03% (w/v) caffeine (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA) in water	15
Onset of sweetness	The time at which maximum sweetness was first perceived	Within 1 s Within 3–4 s	1.25 13.75

¹Weight per volume

²N/A: the reference standard of the sensory attribute did not have a specific scale value because the reference sample was only used for the panelists’ concept alignment