INSIGHTS

Sweeteners Decoded

“Sugar-Free” and “No Added Sugar” are popular trends in today’s food and beverage markets. Foods and drinks with these labels are often sweetened with sugar substitutes. Let’s learn all you need to know about sweeteners and the many alternatives for replacing sugar in your food and beverage formulations.

Sweeteners Decoded: Understanding Sugar, Sugar Alcohols and Substitutes

There are many different types of sweetening options available in today’s market. From sugars and sugar alcohols to sugar substitutes both natural and artificial, the choices are vast. With each sweetener having unique attributes such as caloric count, taste, aftertaste, sweetness intensity, glycemic index, etc., it is important to know which sweetener is the right choice for your product. To add to the challenge, there are many synergies that can be attained by mixing different sweeteners together. In this article, we will provide a brief overview of the various sweetener types available and spotlight some of the most popular sweeteners that we distribute in our region.

Are we consuming too much Sugar?

orange juice on wooden board with apples

It’s no secret, the world loves sugar. Unfortunately, there are real dangers associated with consuming too much sugar. According to Thai Health Promotion Foundation, Thai people consume 20 teaspoons of sugar per day, or three times the recommended limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO). Sugar consumption in Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia is even higher, with Malaysia ranking 9th in the world for per capita sugar consumption, according to a global study by Protectivity. Increased sugar consumption leads to higher rates of obesity and diabetes. As a matter of fact, both obesity and diabetes cases have increase 2.8% and 2.0% in Thailand alone. Reducing sugar consumption is a key method for lowering risk factors for both diseases. Fortunately, there are many low-calorie or no-calorie sweetners on the market today that allow us to enjoy sweet treats without the aforementioned risks.

Sweetener Types

Sweeteners are viable alternatives for replacing sugar in foods and beverages while maintaining the desired sweetness of the product. Sweeteners can be divided into 3 main categories:

1. Sugars

Sugars are simple carbo-hydrates or saccharide groups. They provide 4 calories per gram. Crystal white sugar or sucrose is the most commonly used sugar in food and beverages. Other sugars include High Fructose Corn Syrup, Fructose, Brown sugar etc. Sucrose (table sugar) is the standard against which all other sweeteners are judged.

2. Sugar Alcohols

Sugar alcohols (also called polyols) are chemically related to sugars. This group includes sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol, and several others. They are only partly absorbed and metabolized, so they provide fewer calories – usually 1-3 calories per gram. Unabsorbed polyols can cause some digestive system unhappiness, including gas, rumbling sounds and diarrhea. Polyol sweetness intensity ranges from less to very similar to sucrose. The most common application is Sugar-free confectionery.

3.1 Natural Sugar Substitutes

These natural sweeteners are plant-derived substances that have high sweetness potency. Stevia rebaudioside, and Luo Han Guo (Monk fruit extract) are the best known sweeteners in this group. The most common application is beverages.

3. Sugar Substitutes

Sugar substitutes are derived from plant extracts synthetic chemicals which are non-nutritive. They provide high intensity sweetness and can be hundreds or thousands of times sweeter than sugar – this allows for very small quantities to be used. The aftertaste of this sweetness category varies according to substance characteristic and profile. Blending of sweeteners can help adjust their temporal profile.

3.2 Artificial Sugar Substitutes

These synthetic sugar substitutes taste hundreds or thousands of times sweeter than sugar. Aspartame, Sucralose, Saccharin, Acesulfame K, and several others are in this group. The most common applications are Sugar-free confectionery and beverages.

Our Sweeteners

Find out more details about the sugars, sugar alcohols, and both natural and artificial sugar substitutes available from us.

D-Ribose

Sugar

Attributes

D-Ribose is a naturally-occurring form of Ribose
Ribose is a monosaccharide containing 5 carbon atoms with molecular formula C₅H₁₀O₅
Relative Sweetness < 0.2
Calories 4 kcal / g
Replacing D-ribose 10-14 % of sucrose is able to reduce GI of sucrose > 30%

Benefits

Energy source (ATP precursor)
Boosting muscle energy, providing your cells with energy
Recovery of muscle cell energy storage after intense exercise

D-Xylose

Sugar

Attributes

Xylose is a monosaccharide containing 5 carbon atoms and includes an aldehyde functional group
Calories 2.4 kcal / g
Recognised As Safe (GRAS) by the Flavour and Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA)

Benefits

Enhances visual appearance
Enables rapid Maillard browning reaction
Helps in flavour creation
Improves aroma

Xylitol

Sugar Alcohol

Attributes

Xylitol is an sugar alcohol containing 5 carbon atoms with molecular formula C₅H₁₂O₅
Used as sugar substitute / humectant (E967)
Relative Sweetness 1.0
Calories 2.4 kcal / g
Glycemic Index is 7-12

Benefits

Low calorie and same sweetness as cane sugar
Good ability to keep moisture in the product
Masks aftertaste of other sweeteners
Xylitol can inhibit the growth of harmful oral bacteria

Stevia RA98

Natural Sugar Substitute

Attributes

Extract from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni (Active is Steviol glycoside – Rebaudioside A (Reb A))
Used as sugar substitute (E960)
Relative Sweetness 350-400
Aftertaste is bitter and licorice-like
Non-Caloric
Heat-stable, pH-stable, and not fermentable

Benefits

Natural High intense sweetener
Steviol glycosides have “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) status

Monk Fruit (Luo Han Guo) Extract

Natural Sugar Substitute

Attributes

Extract from Monk fruit (Active is Mogroside v)
Used as a sugar substitute
Relative Sweetness is 250-300
Herb-like aftertaste
Non-Caloric

Benefits

Natural High intense sweetener
Monk fruit extract has been recognised as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the FDA for use in foods and beverages since 2010
Likely to have health benefits from its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties

Aspartame

Artificial Sweetener

Attributes

Artificial, non-saccharide sweetener used as sugar substitute (E951)
Aspartame is a methyl ester of Aspartic acid – Phenylalanine dipeptide
Energy 4 kcal / g
Relative Sweetness 160-220
Low stability for thermal process and pH
Label must declare it causes an effect on “Phenylketonuria Patients”

Benefits

High intense sweetener
Sucrose-like taste when synergistic with Acesulfame K, Sucralose

Acesulfame - K

Artificial Sweetener

Attributes

Artificial, non-saccharide sweetener used as sugar substitute (E950)
Acesulfame K is potassium salt of 6-methyl-1,2,3-oxathiazine-4(3H)-one 2,2-dioxide
Calorie-free sweetener
Relative Sweetness 200
Stable for baking temperatures
Fastest onset sweetness intensity with bitter-metallic aftertaste

Benefits

High intense sweetener
Sucrose-like taste when synergistic with sucralose, aspartame

Sucralose

Artificial Sweetener

Attributes

Artificial, non-saccharide sweetener used as sugar substitute (E955)
Sucralose is a derivative of sucrose from chlorination process
Calorie-free sweetener
Relative Sweetness 500-600
Heat stable
No bitter-metallic aftertaste

Benefits

High intense sweetener
Sucrose-like taste when synergistic with Acesulfame K, Cyclamate

Need help with your sweetener formulations?

food lab technician checking baked goods with equipment

Our experienced food team has been working closely with world-leading sweetener producers for years. We can help you critically analyse existing formulations and provide the perfect synergystic sweetener solution that is just right for your products. Get in touch with our food ingredients team today to find out more about which sweetener combination is best suited for your next project.

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Sources

Division of Non Communicable diseases

http://www.thaincd.com/document/file/download/knowledge/รายงานสถานการณ์โรคNCDs63update.pdf

Link to Source

Thai health promotion foundation

https://www.thaihealth.or.th/Content/48031-คนแต่ละวัย%20กินน้ำตาลได้แค่ไหน.html

Link to Source

The Sweetener Book

Eric Walters Ph.D. The Sweetener Book. United Kingdom: Gale Walters Publishing, 2013

INSIGHTS

Sweeteners Decoded