Determination of some quality characteristics of nectar and fruit drinks prepared with stevia extracts

Sweeteners are artificial or natural compounds produced to replace sugars commonly used in everyday life, which are sweeter than the same amount of sugar and contain less energy. Consumption at high levels of many sweeteners has caused laxative and negative health effects; so alternative sources were needed. Stevia rebaudiana, also known as sugar herb, is an alternative natural sweetener in many countries because it is 200-300 times more sweet than sucrose, has no negative effect on human health, it is low in calories and natural, it is favorable to the fight against diseases such as obesity and diabetes by food formulations.There are studies on the production of products sweetened with stevia extracts in the literature. Most of the research was done on chocolate, biscuits, cookies, yogurt, milk and coffee. Differently in this study, it was aimed to develop the appropriate fruit juice based beverage formulations and to determine the best formulation according to the results of the analysis by using the complete stevia extracts, which were extracted with water and were enriched with ultrafiltration, considered to be healthier and less costly than rebaudioside A.In this study, ground stevia leaves were extracted and centrifuged and the extracts were enriched the content with diafiltration and nanofiltration processes.For fruit juice production, cherry, pomegranate, orange and lemon concentrates, enriched stevia extract, sugar and water were used. The sugar equivalent of stevia extract was calculated and 50%, 30%, 10% and 0% energy reduced product formulation was developed.In addition to descriptive analyses such as water-soluble dry matter, pH value, titratable acidity, color and sensory analyses stevioside and rebA content of samples produced were determined by HPLC method. Thus, the chemical composition and consumer appreciation of products were determined. The results showed that diafiltration and nanofiltration processes were successful in removing the herbaceous odor and bitter aftertaste of stevia extract used in beverage formulations.