Influence of Sucrose Levels and Encapsulated Extracts on Sensory Perception: Bitterness Masking and Turmeric Flavor Balance in Functional Instant Drinks

• Sugar reduced bitterness and turmeric flavor in instant peach drinks. • Sweetness improved taste balance and boosted consumer acceptance. • Turmeric and sugar interacted to shape the drink’s sensory experience. • The top-rated drink used 15% sugar and 1.5% turmeric-green tea extract. Taste is crucial for food acceptance, with sweetness generally preferred and bitterness often rejected. Encapsulated green tea and turmeric extracts (COE) previously retained undesirable turmeric aroma, flavor, and bitterness, reducing consumer acceptance. This study evaluated the effect of sucrose (5–15%) in masking these attributes in COE-enriched instant peach drinks. Sensory tests included Generic Descriptive Analysis (GDA) with 13 trained panelists and consumer acceptance testing with 50 Thai consumers. A factorial experiment assessed drinks containing COE (1.0–2.0%), sucrose (5–15%), and peach freeze-dry powder (8%) in 100 mL water. Sucrose levels significantly influenced the physicochemical and sensory properties (p < 0.05). Increasing sucrose improved pH, TSS, and liking scores (e.g., turmeric aroma, flavor, sweetness, bitterness, astringency, overall liking), while decreasing color and GDA-rated turmeric attributes. Higher COE levels increased catechin and curcuminoid content but intensified bitterness and reduced flavor acceptance. Turmeric flavor liking was significantly lower at 2.0% COE than at 1.0% and 1.5%. Principal component analysis (79.59% variance explained) identified 15% sucrose and 1.5% COE as the optimal formulation (overall liking: 7.6 ± 1.0). These findings underscore the importance of cross-modal interactions in sensory modulation and offer a sustainable formulation strategy for functional beverages targeting both health benefits and consumer preference.