Physicochemical and Sensory Analysis of Monk Fruit (Siraitia grosvenorii) Sweetener as Sucrose Substitute in Black Tea Kombucha

Sugar is an essential component in kombucha production to support microbial fermentation, yet a considerable amount often remains in the final product to maintain taste, raising concerns over excessive sugar intake. Monk fruit (Siraitia grosvenorii), a natural, low-calorie sweetener rich in mogrosides, offers sweetness 150-200 times greater than sucrose, making it a promising sugar substitute in kombucha production. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of replacing sucrose with monk fruit sweetener on the physicochemical and sensory properties of black tea kombucha. Kombucha was prepared with three sucrose-to-monk fruit ratios (0%, 50%, 100% monk fruit sweetener). Physicochemical analyses found that after 7 days of fermentation, kombucha with 100% monk fruit sweetener had significantly higher pH compared to the control (3.40 to 2.53, p<0.05), but remained within the safe consumption range. However, no significant effect on °Brix values was found. Sensory evaluation assessed color, sweetness, sourness, flavor, and overall liking using a hedonic scale, with average overall liking scores ranging from 6.63 to 7.11 and no significant differences (p>0.05) between formulations. However, the preference ranking test indicated that most panelists favored the 50:50 formulation the most, suggesting positive potential for partial sucrose substitution with monk fruit sweetener in black tea kombucha production.