Background: The growing demand for reduced-sugar functional dairy drinks has increased interest in natural sweeteners. This study investigated the effect of partially replacing sucrose with stevia in milk-based beverages containing black tea, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and star anise extracts on physicochemical properties, microbiological quality, and sensory characteristics during storage. Methods: All sucrose-replacement formulations contained the selected herbal extracts and were evaluated on days ۱, ۱۴, and ۳۰ of storage. Physicochemical analyses included pH, titratable acidity, fat, total solids, and sucrose content. Microbiological quality was assessed by total bacterial and coliform counts. Sensory attributes were evaluated by trained panelists using a ۵-point hedonic scale under blinded conditions. Results: Physicochemical properties changed during storage among the formulations. Microbial counts increased over the storage period; however, no consistent significant differences were observed among the sucrose-stevia replacement treatments. Sensory evaluation indicated that the formulation containing ۱۰۰% sucrose generally received the highest scores for taste and overall acceptability. Increasing the level of sucrose replacement with stevia, particularly at higher substitution levels, negatively affected taste and overall acceptance. Conclusion: Partial sucrose replacement with stevia is feasible, but high levels reduce sensory acceptability. No consistent negative effect on microbiological quality was observed during storage.

کلیدواژه ها:

Milk-based beverage ، Herbal extracts ، Stevia ، Physicochemical properties ، Food safety