Application of Erythritol in Food

Erythritol is a bulk sweetener and a four-carbon sugar alcohol. Erythritol is widely found in nature, such as fungi, mushrooms, lichens, melons, grapes, and pears. Small amounts are also present in wine, beer, and soy sauce. It can be produced from glucose fermentation. It is a white crystalline powder with a refreshing sweet taste, is not easily absorbed, is stable at high temperatures, is stable in a wide pH range, and has a mild cooling sensation when dissolved in the mouth. It is suitable for a variety of foods.

Beverages.

In recent years, erythritol has been used in the development of new zero-calorie and low-calorie beverages. Erythritol can increase the sweetness, thickness and lubrication of drinks, while reducing bitterness. It can also mask other odors and improve the flavor of drinks. Erythritol can also be used to refresh solid drinks because erythritol absorbs a lot of heat when it dissolves. Erythritol can promote the solution combination of ethanol molecules and water molecules. Alcoholic beverages can reduce the smell and sensory stimulation of alcohol, and can effectively improve the quality of liquor and wine. Erythritol can also significantly improve the unpleasant odor of plant extracts, collagen, peptides and other substances. Therefore, erythritol has been added to some collagen product formulas to improve the taste.

Baked goods.

Sucrose and oil are the main raw materials for making baked goods. They play a very important role in forming the unique organizational structure, taste and flavor of baked goods. They are indispensable raw materials for the production of high-quality baked goods. The baking industry is also developing towards nutrition, health, functionality, low-calorie and other aspects. Low-energy and sugar-free baked goods have emerged under this trend. Erythritol is a proven ingredient when it comes to obtaining higher quality functional or low-calorie bakery products. It can not only replace sucrose physically and chemically but also bring health benefits. Baked products using erythritol have better structural tightness and softness compared with products that also use sucrose as raw materials. And have different oral solubility and subtle color differences. Erythritol used in baked goods is best in powder form or crystals with fine particle size (<200 μm). The fine particles will give the product a smooth and round taste.

Candies.

In recent years, functional sugar products have become a hot consumption and development focus in the current international candy market, with huge market potential. However, not all low-calorie and low-sugar sugar bases can replace sucrose in the production of candy chocolate. The new raw materials used must be able to replace sucrose from the perspective of taste and physical chemistry, and must also be beneficial to human health. After long-term practical research, it has been proved that the new functional raw material erythritol fully meets the requirements. The taste of erythritol is the same as that of sucrose. There is no need to add strong sweeteners such as aspartame or saccharin. The candies using erythritol have a refreshing and cooler taste than other "non-sucrose" candies, with pure sweetness and no bad aftertaste; and the joint use of erythritol and other sugar alcohols can increase the tolerance and reduce the risk of unilateral use. It is best to use high-purity erythritol crystalline powder in confectionery chocolate to achieve better quality and taste.

Advantages.

Erythritol has the following advantages:

1. Erythritol is a natural zero-calorie sweetener.

2. Erythritol has a higher tolerance. All sugar alcohols will cause diarrhea if you eat too much. There is a problem of tolerance, but erythritol has the highest tolerance of the human body.

3. The average glycemic index and average insulin index of erythritol are lower. Therefore, erythritol has less impact on blood sugar and also has antioxidant activity.

4. In terms of production technology, erythritol is the only one among all sugar alcohols that is produced by fermentation. The fermentation method is closer to natural transformation and extraction.

5. Erythritol is basically non-hygroscopic, while other sugar alcohols have varying degrees of hygroscopicity. Being non-hygroscopic expands its application areas.