zjz470

Erythritol

Erythritol has slightly sweet, with a relative sweetness of 0.65. Erythritol has very low calories–about one-tenth of that of sucrose.

Compared with other sweeteners, erythritol can also prevent dental plaque and tooth decay.

Mogroside

Mogroside is as sweet as stevia, but does not have the bitter taste. It is 300 times sweeter than sugar, but contains no calories and carbohydrates.

1Aspartame

Aspartame is a non-carbohydrate artificial sweetener that will be hydrolyzed at high temperature or high pH, so it is not suitable for foods that require high-temperature baking.

Its sweetness is 180 times that of sucrose, It has a refreshing sweetness that is very similar to sucrose, without bitterness and metallic taste.

Acesulfame Potassium

Acesulfame potassium is used as a non-nutritive sweetener. It has a strong sweet taste and tastes similar to saccharin.

Acesulfame potassium can be widely used in various foods. It can be mixed with other sweeteners, especially when used in combination with aspartame and cyclamate.

With the improvement of living standards, people’s eating habits have great changes, and beverages have gradually become an indispensable part of the modern diet.

Nowadays, health is an important factor that people consider when buying beverages. “Sugar-free” has become a new selling point for beverages. Sweetener plays an important part in “sugar-free” products.

Erythritol has lowder calories and higher sweetness. The influence of erythritol to beverages is reflected in the improvement of sweetness, heaviness and smoothness. It can reduce bitterness, improve the flavor and sweetness quality of beverage.

Xylitol and sorbitol still has large market for they entered Chinese market before erythritol. Especially, chewing gum products with xylitol added is very popular.

However, after years of development, the market for some sweeteners such as xylitol and sorbitol is almost saturated.

Meanwhile, consumers are increasingly sensitive to food safety issues. In this situation, erythritol has shown strong market demand.

Crystalline fructose is a monosaccharide and an isomer of glucose. It contains 6 carbon atoms and has a structural formula of C6H12O6. Its sweetness is 1.2 to 1.8 times that of sucrose. It is naturally found in fruit, honey and grain juices. Crystalline fructose has a fruity fragrance, has a low calorific value, is metabolized faster in the body than glucose, is easily absorbed and utilized by the body, and does not depend on insulin, and has a low blood sugar burden.



Experiments have proved that under the same conditions, if the blood glucose rise index produced after eating glucose is taken as 100, then the human bodys blood glucose rise index after eating fructose is only 23, and some can even be as low as 19, while sucrose It is as high as 65.

Application of crystalline fructose in low GI solid beverage



According to the "International Table of International Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Value" certified by the EFSA European Union Food Safety Agency, the GI value of crystalline fructose is 19.2, while the GI value of sucrose is 68.5. "International Table of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load (2002)" provides the glycemic index of a variety of foods, including crystalline fructose and foods and beverages containing crystalline fructose.



There is also evidence that fructose can promote the growth and reproduction of beneficial bacteria such as bifidobacteria in the human body, inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria, improve gastrointestinal function and metabolism, reduce blood lipids, and prevent dental caries. It is an ideal sweet taste for diabetics, obese patients, and children Agent.



Crystalline fructose is not easily converted into acid by Streptococcus in the oral cavity, which can inhibit the production of glucan by the bacteria, thereby inhibiting the production of caries; its peak sweetness comes quickly and goes quickly; the sweetness does not affect other flavors, and has an enhanced The effect of product flavor; crystalline fructose has a high sweetness, 1.2-1.8 times that of sucrose; its sweetness changes with temperature, the lower the temperature, the higher the sweetness; the solubility of crystalline fructose is high, and it increases with the increase of temperature ; Crystalline fructose is a simple sugar, the osmotic pressure is about twice that of sucrose, which can make the sugar penetrate the inside of the fruit better, thereby forming a conspicuous color on the outside, and can effectively inhibit the growth of bacteria during the processing; crystal fructose can reduce the formation of lactic acid , Helps to strengthen human endurance, and is the main source of physical energy for people with large exercise and physical exertion.



At present, the total global production of fructose is about 300,000 tons, and the global demand is increasing at a rate of 30% every year. It is mainly used in food and beverage, health care products, high-end pharmaceuticals, nutritional solutions, injections, etc.

1. Spray-dried fruit and vegetable powder: It is mainly made from fruit juice, concentrated juice and slurry after instantaneous high temperature spray drying. The advantages of the product are fine powder, uniform color and taste, good rehydration, stable properties, easy control of the production process, and production consumption. It has moderate advantages and large production capacity. The disadvantages are: the product needs to use excipients as carriers, the juice content should not be too high, the color and flavor are partially lost in the process, heat-sensitive materials are easy to oxidize, and have strong hygroscopicity; spray-dried fruit and vegetable powder is still the mainstream product, more and more Recognized by the market.



2. Freeze-dried fruit and vegetable powder: It mainly uses frozen fruit to sublime the moisture in the fruit under low-temperature vacuum conditions to obtain dried fruit, which can be made into whole, sliced, diced, and ground into powder; advantages of freeze-dried fruit and vegetable powder It is able to retain most of the flavor and color of fruits and vegetables, keep nutrients from being lost, and can retain 100% of the solids of fruits and vegetables, with high fiber content and good rehydration. The disadvantage is that the process consumes relatively high power, is easy to change color, is not resistant to high temperatures, and has poor solubility. Due to cost and solubility, product applications also have certain limitations.



3. Drum drying fruit and vegetable powder: mainly for the varieties with high starch content, after beating, they are dried in a drum and made into flakes and powder products. The advantage is low energy consumption and stable product properties; the disadvantage is that the product has strong limitations. Only a few products are suitable for this drying method and cannot be popularized.



4. Hot-air drying fruit and vegetable powder: After blanching the stems and leaves of fruits and vegetables, they are dried with a hot-air dryer, and then powdered or crushed. The product has stable properties, general rehydration, low energy consumption, and hygiene indicators. It is difficult to control and can only be used after sterilization. This method is generally used for vegetable products, and it was first used for instant noodle seasoning packets. With the improvement of pre-treatment technology, hot-air drying fruit and vegetable powder has more and more applicability.



Fruit and Vegetable Powder



Application of fruit and vegetable powder



1. Protein-based solid beverages: used to enrich the taste of the product or correct the fishy odor of fish collagen. Commonly used flavors are: strawberry, banana, blueberry, sweet orange, papaya, etc.;



2. Sports solid drinks: used to increase the taste of the product, mask or correct the odor of vitamins or minerals, commonly used flavors are: grapefruit, lime, orange, peach, etc.;



3. Meal replacement powder: including fruit and vegetable meal replacement powder, grain meal replacement powder, milkshake meal replacement powder and other categories, commonly used flavors are: banana, pineapple, mulberry, kiwi, longan, lychee, etc.;



4. Probiotic powder: used to adjust product taste, commonly used flavors are: apple, pineapple, kiwi, red cherry, blueberry, cranberry, etc.;



5. Enzyme powder: Most of the sources of enzymes are fruits and vegetables, which are used to enrich the taste of products and increase the flavor characteristics of fruits. Common flavors are: pineapple, papaya, kiwi, dragon fruit, blueberry, etc.;



6. Baby rice noodles: mainly sweet and sweet, adjust the taste of rice noodles, commonly used flavors are: orange, apple, banana, blueberry, carrot, spinach, honey, loquat, etc.;



7. Tableted candy: including chewable tablets, effervescent tablets, milk tablets, etc., enhance the taste of juice, commonly used flavors are orange, lemon powder, peach powder, strawberry, mango, tropical fruits,Erythritol;



8. Puffed food: including potato chips, popcorn, roll core crisps, used for flavoring powder taste base, commonly used flavors are: mango, cucumber, lemon, blueberry, strawberry, pineapple, etc.;



9. Chocolate food: including sandwich biscuits, coated biscuits, chocolate coating materials, white chocolate, etc., adding fruit and vegetable powder to increase color and taste. Common flavors are: strawberry powder, mango, blueberry, kiwi, lemon, durian, etc.;

The excessive consumption of sugar has caused widespread concern. In September 2021, Academician Chen Junshi pointed out at the "First China Drinks Healthy Consumption Forum" that replacing sugar with sweeteners is the development trend of the beverage industry. So, what are the current sugar replacement programs? Which sweetener is more promising?

Low sugar, sugar replacement trend
Sugar is one of the most popular ingredients in the diet. Consumers are accustomed to the sweetness and texture, and enjoy the comfort and happiness from it. However, it is surprising that most sugar consumption comes from deep-processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages, rather than desserts and candies.

At present, global consumers attitudes towards sugar have changed: processed sugar is considered unhealthy, which has led to an increase in obesity rates around the world, while less refined sugar is considered clean and natural.

Global concerns about excessive sugar consumption and the increase in diseases have led to an increase in demand for low-sugar and low-sugar products. This situation has forced food and beverage formulators to put sugar reduction in the first place in product innovation, development, and marketing strategies. Similarly, sweetener manufacturers are also more in-depth research and development of sweeteners to replace sugar to cater to this highly active market demand.


Classification and key characteristics of sweeteners
The global sugar and sweetener market share are approximately US$25 billion (approximately RMB 161.1 billion), and this market has undergone tremendous changes in the past decade. More research and development are underway, including low-sugar, low-calorie sugar, high-sweetness sugar, artificial sugar, processed sugar, and natural sugar selection.
Generally speaking, sweeteners can be divided into the following six categories:

(1) Sugars: carbohydrates are naturally present in many foods, including fruits, vegetables, grains, and milk. The most common are sucrose, glucose, fructose, lactose, maltose, galactose and trehalose.

(2) Sugar Alcohols: A type of carbohydrates naturally found in plants and grains, albeit in small quantities. The human body cannot completely metabolize them, so they tend to have fewer calories per gram of weight. The most common are sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, maltitol, erythritol, isomalt, lactitol, and glycerin.

(3) Natural Caloric Sweeteners: The oldest known sweeteners, including honey and maple syrup. They not only contain sugar, but also other nutrients. Their glycemic index is often lower than sugar. The most common ones are honey, maple syrup, coconut palm sugar, and sorghum syrup.

(4) Natural Zero-Calorie Sweeteners: They are not carbohydrates, they only contain few or no calories. In recent years, peoples interest in this type of sweetener has increased day by day because they are good substitutes for artificial sweeteners. Their glycemic index is zero and they have an aftertaste. The common ones are stevia, allulose, mogroside, and brazzein.

(5) Modified Sugars: These sugars are usually produced by enzymatic conversion of starch, including modified sugars such as caramel or golden syrup. They are often used in cooking or processed foods. The most common are high fructose corn syrup, caramel, agave syrup, inverted sugar, and golden syrup.

(6) Artificial Sweeteners: Artificial sweeteners are usually called "high-intensity sweeteners" because their taste is similar to sugar, but their sweetness is as high as several thousand times. There are many types on the market, and some seem to be safer than others. They have been used in the United States and Europe for more than 120 years. The most common ones are aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, neotame, acesulfame K and cyclamate.

The key characteristics of sugar and sweeteners include sweetness (relative to sucrose), calorific value (calories per gram), taste, texture, volume, color (browning) and probiotic functions. Sugars, modified sugars and sugar alcohols are usually products with lower sweetness and standard calorific value (2~4 cal/g), while artificial sweeteners are products with higher sweetness and usually no calories.

Most of the research and development centered on sweeteners with high sweetness and low calories. Clean, pure and natural has become the driving force for the development of these sugars. However, price is still the biggest driving force for development and innovation in the sweetener and sugar fields.