Driven by the rapid development of social and economic development, people’s requirements for food are getting higher and higher, not only the pursuit of nutritional value, but also the pursuit of taste, and at the same time pay attention to the special physiological functions of food on the human body.

Sweeteners are substitutes for edible sugar, with superior function and good physiological activity, and have a broader development prospect in terms of food development.

In the process of social development, people’s food, clothing, housing and transportation and social development is closely linked, at present, people’s living standards continue to improve, health care awareness is constantly strengthened, people are concerned about the color, aroma, taste, shape of the food, but also pay attention to food on the human body to produce special physiological functions.

Low-calorie, non-corrosive food has become the favorite of consumers, and is also the main field of research in the national food, biological and chemical industries, which has played a very significant role in promoting the development of the food processing industry.

Physiological activity analysis of functional sweeteners

Sweeteners are substitutes for table sugar, can increase the sweetness of food, but can make the food in the sugar and polyols, such as a large number of reduced, the reason why the use of sweeteners in food processing, mainly from the sweeteners of the moisturizing properties of the better, non-corrosive, and energy is also relatively low, and at the same time also has a bifidobacteria proliferation function.

The types of foods in which sweeteners are most widely used today include beverages, infant milk powder and fermented dairy products, and the demand for these foods is increasing year after year.

The functions of sweeteners are as follows:

① The calories are relatively low and difficult to digest. It mainly stems from the fact that sweeteners enter the body after metabolism produces less calorie value, and the pathway of digestion does not have any relationship with insulin, so diabetics, hypertensive patients, and obese patients, etc. can be used.

② sweeteners can improve intestinal function, mainly from the functional sweeteners can promote the proliferation of bifidobacteria in the intestinal tract and produce bifidobacteria in the human intestinal tract, the production of broken-chain fatty acids and some antimicrobial substances, on the growth and reproduction of pathogenic bacteria and putrefactive bacteria have some inhibitory effect, increase intestinal peristalsis, improve constipation.

③ sweeteners also have the role of anti-caries, functional sweeteners such as oligosaccharides and sugar alcohols will not nourish oral bacteria, but also inhibit the growth of mutant streptococci, so people consume sweeteners for a long time will not cause dental caries in food.

Food Processing Properties of Functional Sweeteners

2.1 Functional sweeteners have low sweetness during processing.

In terms of sugar content, xylitol and oligofructose in sweeteners are very close to sucrose in terms of sweetness, while other oligosaccharides and sugar alcohols are lower than sucrose in terms of sweetness. In addition, the taste of sweeteners is better, so it will not affect the taste of food, if the food is slightly bitter, sweeteners can also improve the bitter taste.

2.2 Sweeteners have better hygroscopicity and moisture retention.

The reason is that the sweeteners in the oligosaccharide and sugar alcohols are not easy to absorb water, food products are not easy to rot. For the production of bread and snacks and other food has a very important role in promoting.

2.3 Functional sweeteners for food processing also has heat resistance, acid resistance, fermentation resistance

Food processing requires high-temperature baking, and if other sugar sweeteners are not stable, they will ferment and deteriorate at high temperatures.

Functional sweeteners, however, are relatively stable and do not participate in the Melard reaction during food processing, resulting in a variety of food styles, and can therefore be used in foods or cheeses that do not change color.

In addition, the sweetness of functional sweeteners is basically lower than that of sucrose, and their cooling sensation is the same as that of sucrose, so foods made with functional sweeteners absorb heat and produce a cooling sensation when they are consumed.

This is mainly due to the fact that there is xylitol in functional sweeteners, and xylitol is more effective in dissolving heat, so its cooling sensation is also stronger.

Functional sweeteners are being studied as a hot topic in many fields because they are safer.

Functional sweeteners contain oligosaccharides, which are natural carbohydrates that are safer, and they can also be consumed by people, so oligosaccharides can again be considered a food.

Functional sweeteners there is a substance polyols, with laxative effect, but in the specific consumption period to be moderate, too much will appear intestinal tinnitus or diarrhea, if the consumer intake of polyols more than 50g will be a slight diarrhea.

Types of functional sweeteners

and its application in food

Functional sweeteners are more diverse, widely used, according to its function is mainly divided into functional oligosaccharide, polyols, glycosides and synthetic sweeteners, etc., the following in-depth analysis of oligosaccharides and polyols for research.

3.1 Maltitol

Maltitol is made from high maltose syrup by hydrogenation, maltitol is colorless crystals, chemical properties are more stable, but also heat, acid, its effect than sucrose, sorbitol and xylitol good, in addition, the solubility of maltitol is relatively small, in the specific consumption of the period of time there is no sense of coolness, taste is not particularly obvious.

But with the sugar alcohol made of jam and jelly products such as the quality is very good. Therefore, maltitol is mainly added in candy, chewing gum, chocolate and ice cream and other food products.

3.2 Xylitol

Xylitol is mainly derived from the hydrogenation of xylose in materials such as wood and corn kernels. This substance ends up in a five-carbon polyol, which is sweet, has a high calorie content and the strongest refreshing sensation.

It can inhibit the growth and reproduction of Streptococcus mutans in food processing. Therefore, people’s long-term intake of xylitol has a good control of body weight, etc., and can also play a role in weight loss.

At present, xylitol is mainly used in chewing gum, gummies, fudge, jelly and chocolate and other foods, can play a moisturizing throat, clean teeth, prevent dental caries and other effects.

3.3 Mannitol

Mannitol, also known as has been six alcohol, xylitol, mannitol is mainly hydrolyzed from sucrose sugar, mainly in the presence of nickel through the catalytic hydrogen, concentration, separation and obtained from the kelp, fruits, plants, the leaves of the extraction of sugar alcohol.

Due to the nature of sugar alcohol is relatively stable, and therefore not easily oxidized in the air. Therefore, mannitol is mainly used in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Conclusion

Functional sweeteners are more diverse, the use of a very wide range, so we need a comprehensive understanding of the physiological activity of functional sweeteners, and its processing characteristics and safety have a comprehensive understanding, so as to make the application of functional sweeteners more widely.