Application analysis of functional sweeteners in food

January 24, 2024

Driven by rapid socio-economic development, people have increasingly high demands for food. They not only pursue nutritional value, but also taste, while also paying attention to the special physiological functions that food has on the human body.

Sweeteners are substitutes for edible sugar, with superior functions and good physiological activities. From the perspective of food development, their development prospects are relatively broad.

In the process of social development, people's clothing, food, housing, and transportation are closely related to social development. Currently, people's living standards are constantly improving, and their awareness of health care is constantly strengthening. People pay attention to the color, aroma, taste, and shape of food, as well as the special physiological functions that food produces on the human body.

Low calorie, non corrosive food has become a favorite of consumers and a major area of research in the national food, biological, and chemical industries, playing a significant role in promoting the development of the food processing industry.

01Physiological activity analysis of functional sweetener

Sweeteners are substitutes for edible sugar, which can increase the sweetness of food, but can significantly reduce sugars and polyols in food. The reason for using sweeteners in food processing is mainly due to their good moisturizing properties, non corrosiveness, low energy, and the proliferation function of bifidobacteria.

At present, the most widely used types of sweeteners in food include beverages, infant formula, and fermented dairy products, and the demand for these foods is also increasing year by year.

The functions of sweeteners are as follows: ① The calories are relatively low and difficult to digest. It is mainly due to the fact that the amount of calories produced by the sweetener entering the human body is relatively small, and the way of digestion has nothing to do with insulin, so diabetic patients, hypertensive patients and obese patients can all use it.

② Sweeteners can improve intestinal function, mainly because functional sweeteners can promote the proliferation of bifidobacteria in the intestine, and produce bifidobacteria in the human intestine, producing broken chain fatty acids and some antibiotic substances, which have a certain inhibitory effect on the growth and reproduction of pathogenic bacteria and spoilage bacteria, increase intestinal peristalsis, and improve constipation.

③ Sweeteners also have anti caries effects. The oligosaccharides and sugar alcohols in functional sweeteners do not nourish oral bacteria and can inhibit the growth of mutant streptococci. Therefore, long-term consumption of sweetened foods will not cause dental caries.

02Food processing characteristics of functional sweeteners

2.1 Functional sweeteners have a relatively low sweetness during processing. In terms of sugar content, the sweetness of xylitol and oligofructose in sweeteners is similar to that of sucrose, while the sweetness of other oligosaccharides and sugar alcohols is lower than that of sucrose. In addition, sweeteners have a good taste, so they will not affect the taste of the food. If there is a slight bitterness in the food, sweeteners can also improve the bitterness.

The reason why sweeteners have good moisture absorption and moisturizing properties is that the oligosaccharides and sugar alcohols in sweeteners are not easy to absorb water, and food products are not easy to rot. It plays a very important role in promoting the production of bread, Dim sum and other foods.

2.3 The food processing of functional sweeteners also has heat resistance, acid resistance, and fermentation resistance

Food processing requires high-temperature baking, and if the sweeteners of other sugars are unstable, they will ferment and spoil at high temperatures.

The functional sweeteners currently available are relatively stable and do not participate in the Maillard reaction in food processing, resulting in a variety of food styles. Therefore, functional sweeteners can be used in non discolored foods or cheese.

In addition, the sweetness of functional sweeteners is generally lower than that of sucrose, and their coolness is the same as that of sucrose. Therefore, food made with functional sweeteners will absorb heat upon entry, producing a refreshing sensation.

Mainly due to the presence of xylitol in functional sweeteners, which has a better effect on dissolving heat, its coolness is also stronger.

The reason why functional sweeteners are being studied as a hot topic in many fields is because they have relatively high safety. Functional sweeteners contain oligosaccharides, which are natural carbohydrates that are relatively safe and can also be consumed by people. Therefore, oligosaccharides can be considered as a type of food.

There is also a substance called polyol in functional sweeteners, which has a moisturizing effect on the intestines. However, it should be consumed in moderation during specific consumption periods. Excessive consumption may lead to intestinal ringing or diarrhea. If consumers consume more than 50g of polyol, mild diarrhea may occur.

03 Types of functional sweeteners and their applications in food

There are various types of functional sweeteners with wide applications. According to their functions, they are mainly divided into functional oligosaccharides, polyols, glycosides, and artificially synthesized sweeteners. Below, we will conduct in-depth analysis and research on oligosaccharides and polyols.

3.1 Maltositol Maltositol is made from high maltose syrup by hydrogenation. Maltositol is a colorless crystal with stable chemical properties, as well as heat and acid resistance. Its effect is better than sucrose, sorbitol, and xylitol. In addition, maltitol has relatively low solubility and does not have any cool feeling during specific consumption. The taste is not particularly obvious.

But the quality of jam and jelly products made from this sugar alcohol is very good. Therefore, maltitol is mainly added to foods such as candy, chewing gum, chocolate, and ice cream.

3.2 Xylitol Xylitol mainly comes from the hydrogenation of xylose in materials such as wood and corn cobs, which ultimately forms a five carbon polyol with high sweetness, high calorie content, and the strongest coolness.

In food processing, it can inhibit the growth and reproduction of Streptococcus mutans. Therefore, long-term intake of xylitol has good control over weight and can also have a weight loss effect.

At present, xylitol is mainly used in foods such as chewing gum, gummies, gummies, jelly, and chocolate, which can moisturize the throat, clean teeth, and prevent dental caries.

3.3 Mannitol, also known as hexyl alcohol or xylitol, is a sugar mainly hydrolyzed from sucrose. It is mainly obtained through catalytic hydrogen, concentration, and separation in the presence of nickel. It can be extracted from seaweed, fruits, and plant leaves.

Due to the relatively stable properties of sugar alcohols, they are not easily oxidized in the air. Therefore, mannitol is mainly used in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

04 Conclusion

There are various types of functional sweeteners with a wide range of uses. Therefore, it is necessary to have a comprehensive understanding of the physiological activity of functional sweeteners, as well as a comprehensive understanding of their processing characteristics and safety, in order to make the application of functional sweeteners more widespread.

Author:

Ms. Anne

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sales13@huikes.com

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