Sugars, Sugar Alcohols and Honey

Abstract

Only a few of the sugars occurring in nature are used extensively as sweeteners. Besides sucrose (saccharose), other important sugars are: glucose (starch sugar or starch syrup); invert sugar (equimolar mixture of glucose and fructose); maltose; lactose; and fructose. In addition, some other sugars and sugar alcohols (polyhydric alcohols) are used in diets or for some technical purposes. These include sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, maltulose, isomaltulose, maltitol, isomaltitol, lactulose and lactitol. Some are used commonly in food and pharmaceutical industries, while applications for others are being developed. Food-grade oligosaccharides, which can be economically produced, are physiologically and technologically interesting. This group includes galacto-, fructo-, malto- and isomalto-oligosaccharides. Table 19.1 reviews relative sweetness, source and means of production, and Table 19.2 gives nutritional and physiological properties. Whether compounds will be successful as a sweetener depends on nutritional, physiological and processing properties, cariogenicity as compared to sucrose, economic impact, and the quality and intensity of the sweet taste.