Development of a non-commercial sugar-free barbecue sauce

There has always been a challenge in manufacturing a sugar free sauce. A basic barbecue sauce formulation was used to make 5 sugar-free preparations combining selected levels of xanthan gum, modified waxy maize starch, sucralose, and acesulfame-K. Physical, chemical, microbial and sensory properties were used to evaluate the product quality. Total Aerobic Plate Count was below detectable limits before and after the incubation period for all 6 products. Total Soluble Solids, water activity and pH −before and after incubation− of the control were significantly different from all 5 sugar-free treatments. Descriptive sensory analysis of prepared products showed that SU treatment (2.0% Starch+ 0.3% Sucralose) exhibited the best in all the sensory properties that were determined compared to all other treatments. One sugar free preparation was significantly more viscous than the control. This study will help producers in formulating a new a sugar free healthy barbecue sauce with properties closely comparable to a sugar containing control formula.