Sweeteners are a very important type of food additives. In their application, they need to meet the four requirements of food production - safety standards, taste quality, process compliance, and low cost. With the improvement of consumption levels, eating more nutritious and healthier food has gradually become the focus of consumers. Low-fat and low-calorie food additives will become the main development trend. So what are the commonly used sweeteners, what are their similarities and differences, and how can they meet the four requirements of safety, taste, process, and cost through compounding?

1.Comparison of commonly used sweeteners

1.1 Several common sweeteners

1) Acesulfame potassium (AK sugar)

It has good taste and stability, and has a significant synergistic effect when combined with cyclamate in a 1:5 ratio.

2) Sodium cyclamate (cyclamic acid sodium)

It is stable to light and heat, resistant to acid and alkali, non-deliquescent, and has a pure sweetness. It has a bitter taste when added in an amount exceeding 0.4%. It is often mixed with saccharin in a ratio of 9:1 to enhance the taste.

3) Xylose (D-xylose)

It cannot be digested in the human body. Compared with xylitol, it has no refreshing taste. It participates in the Maillard reaction and is suitable for seasoning.

4) Stevia (stevioside)

It is resistant to high temperatures, does not ferment, does not caramelize when heated, decomposes under alkaline conditions, is hygroscopic, and has a refreshing sweet taste. At high concentrations, it has a slight bitter taste similar to menthol, but it can be reduced or eliminated when used in combination with sucrose (7:3). When used in combination with sodium citrate, the taste can be improved.

5) Glycyrrhizin (tripotassium glycyrrhizinate)

The sweetness is released slowly, with a slightly bitter aftertaste. It is highly stable and does not ferment. It has a flavoring effect, but those who are not used to it will feel uncomfortable. It is mostly used in seasonings, preserved fruits and health foods, and can also be used to increase the foaming of beer and flour products. In seasoning production, the ratio of glycyrrhizin to saccharin is often 3 to 4:1, and adding an appropriate amount of sucrose can make the sweetness effect better, alleviate the saltiness of salt, and enhance the flavor; for candies, it is often used in combination with sucrose, saccharin and citric acid, which has a unique flavor and better sweetness; in salty pickled products, it can avoid fermentation, discoloration and hardening.

6) Glucose

It is an important source of energy for the body. Its calorie content is similar to that of sucrose. It can be used together with sucrose in low-sweetness foods. It is also a bulking sweetener.

7) Saccharin (saccharin sodium)

It has a strong sweetness but weak heat and alkali resistance. When heated under acidic conditions, the sweetness gradually disappears. If the solution is greater than 0.026%, it tastes bitter and should not be used in infant food.

8) Aspartame

After ingestion, it is converted into aspartic acid and phenylalanine in the body. It tastes similar to sucrose, has no unpleasant aftertaste, and is not heat-resistant. Patients with phenylketonuria should not use it.

9) Lactose

It has a strong ability to preserve volatile aromas and flavors, and has a good protective effect on product pigments.

Heating can produce caramelization, which can be used in baked goods to give them a golden brown appearance.

It is hygroscopic and can retain moisture in pasta and sweets and make them soft and also can help stabilize foaming.

10) Sucralose

Produced with sucrose as raw material, it tastes most similar to sucrose, is heat-resistant, and is very stable in acidic to neutral environments.

11) High fructose corn syrup

The sweetness is pure, the colder it is, the sweeter it is, and the sweetness disappears faster than other sweetness. It has a refreshing effect when used in beverages, and does not cover up the original color and aroma of juice; it is beneficial to inhibit bacteria and absorb moisture when used in the production of preserved fruits and jams; it can make bread and pastries soft; it can prevent ice crystals when used in the production of ice cream.

2 Common properties of sugar alcohols

It does not cause an increase in blood glucose levels and is an ideal sweetener for obese and diabetic patients.

Long-term consumption will not cause tooth decay.

Some sugar alcohols have laxative effects, the degree of which varies as follows:

Erythritol-maltitol + xylitol + sorbitol +++ mannitol +++

It has the property of absorbing heat when dissolved in water, and it feels cool when you drink it.

Compared with other sweeteners: low sweetness, low calorific value, good hygroscopicity, heat and acid resistance, no Maillard reaction, suitable for baking.

Characteristics of sugar alcohols

1) Xylitol

When combined with strong sweeteners, it produces a coordinated synergistic effect and can mask their unpleasant aftertaste; it has a chelating effect with metal ions, can be used as a synergist for antioxidants, and helps to stabilize vitamins and pigments.

2) Sorbitol

It has a moisturizing and preservative effect in baked foods. It can be used as a starch stabilizer and a fruit flavor preservative, antioxidant and preservative. It can prevent the crystallization of sugar and salt in foods, maintain the balance of sweetness, sourness and bitterness, and increase the flavor of food.

3) Mannitol

It is sweet and refreshing, non-hygroscopic, and can be used to prevent gummies from sticking.

4) Erythritol

Low hygroscopicity and low melting point. Used to cover food (cakes, etc.) to prevent moisture and retain moisture, thus extending the shelf life.

5) Maltitol

It has the function of preserving fragrance, increasing the aroma of candies and beverages, and can enhance the transparency of candies; it has a high viscosity and can also be used as a thickener.

6) Palatinol (isomaltitol)

It is non-hygroscopic and can synergize with other strong sweeteners and mask their unpleasant aftertaste.

1.3 Sweetness of Sugar and Sweeteners

Name  Sweetness multiple

Sucrose  1

Lactose  0.3

Xylose  0.4

Xylo-oligosaccharide  0.5

Xylitol  0.6

Sorbitol  0.6

Erythritol  0.7

Glucose  0.7

Maltitol  1

Fructose  syrup1

Cyclamate  50

Stevia  200

Licorice  200

Aspartame  200

Acesulfame  200

Saccharin  500

Sucralose  600

3. Compound ratios of several common high-intensity sweeteners

The existing monomer sweeteners have their own advantages and disadvantages. No matter which monomer sweetener, it cannot meet the four requirements of safety, taste, process and cost at the same time. Only by utilizing and giving full play to the advantages of each monomer sweetener, compensating and transforming its shortcomings, and compounding and transforming it with scientific and reasonable methods, can we approach and achieve the goal of meeting the four requirements at the same time.

3.1 Acesulfame K and Aspartame

The effect is better when the ratio is 1:1 and the sweetness replacement cannot exceed 6, otherwise the product will taste bitter. Adding β-cyclodextrin or glycine can mask some of the bitterness.

3.2 Acesulfame K: Sodium Cyclamate

The effect is best when it is applied to jelly at a ratio of 1:3, but the presence of K+ makes the product have a bitter aftertaste. You can consider adding 2/1000 sodium citrate, 2/1000 I+G, 1/1000 glycine (too much will turn it yellow), and a small amount of salt to adjust the ratio.

3.3 Erythritol and sucralose combined for roasting

The adding ratio is 3000:(1~7), and the original production process does not need to be changed.

3.4 Canned Fruit

Aspartame and acesulfame potassium are mixed in a 1:1 ratio to replace about half of the sugar, which reduces the economy and has a better effect when combined with fruit flavors.

3.5 Use of protein sugar in roasted nuts

Meringue is a compound product of various sweeteners. Its sweetness ranges from 50, 60, 80, 100, 200, etc. It can enhance the flavor of food well within the prescribed range of use.

4.The development trend of compound sweeteners

Many sweeteners have a characteristic that they can complement each other, improve the taste, and have a synergistic effect to increase sweetness. High sweeteners have their own advantages and disadvantages in terms of sweetness, taste and stability. The combination of them can complement each other. The advantages are that they can improve the taste and flavor, reduce the aftertaste, improve the sweetness, reduce the amount of sweeteners used, and improve economic benefits. In addition, as the society gradually enters the aging population in recent years, the health concept of controlling overnutrition and reducing high fat, high sugar and high salt has attracted further attention, and safe and low-calorie sweeteners will develop rapidly.