Global sugar reduction trends and challenges: Exploring aroma sweetening as an alternative to sugar reduction

Excessive sugar consumption is associated with a variety of health problems. Sugar reduction is challenging as it affects the texture and flavor of food. Furthermore, the safety of non-nutritive sweeteners has become the subject of increasing scrutiny and debate, necessitating a more rigorous evaluation of long-term health impacts and potential alternatives. Aroma-induced sweetening is expected to be a healthier strategy for sugar reduction. This review focuses on the physiological basis of sweetness perception. It explains the neural pathway of aroma sweetening and elaborates on the mechanism of action of aroma sweetening in terms of the neural and psychological factors of olfactory-taste synergy. Additionally, it summarizes the subjective and objective factors affecting the sweetness perception of aroma sweetening, including individual differences, aroma, multisensory synergy, and sensory analysis methods. Aroma sweetening represents a promising approach to glucose reduction, affecting sweet perception through the olfactory-taste pathway. When applying aroma sweetening, the aroma substances and their concentrations should be strictly screened. The long-term health effects of the aroma substances should also be evaluated. Furthermore, with the ongoing advancement of sensory assessment tools and methodologies, innovative biometrics may offer valuable support for future research endeavors. Overall, this review hopes to provide new ideas for sugar reduction research.