Isomaltulose is an isomer of sucrose. It exists in small amounts in honey, sugar cane juice and other substances. It can selectively promote the growth of bifidobacteria in the human intestine. It has low calorie and anti-caries properties and can inhibit obesity. The appearance and taste of isomaltulose are similar to sucrose, with white crystals. The sweetness is about 42% of sucrose and does not change with environmental changes. The solubility is only 50% of sucrose at room temperature. When the temperature rises, the solubility increases sharply, reaching 85% of sucrose at 80°C. Compared with the melting point of sucrose (160~185 ℃), the melting point of isomaltulose is lower (123~124 ℃).

Isomaltulose also has high stability. Its main performance is: (1) It has good acid hydrolysis resistance. At pH 2.0, a 20% isomaltulose solution will not undergo hydrolysis reaction after boiling for 1 hour. Therefore, it is more stable than sucrose in acidic foods. (2) Adding isomaltulose to isotonic or hypotonic beverages can maintain the stability of osmotic pressure; (3) Isomaltulose is resistant to most bacteria and yeasts and is not easily utilized, therefore, products with added isomaltulose are more likely to maintain sweetness.

Production and preparation of isomaltulose.

The content of isomaltulose in nature is low and it is difficult to synthesize it using chemical methods. Therefore, it is mainly produced by microbial conversion and enzymatic isomerization of sucrose. Among them, the enzymatic isomerization of sucrose is an enzymatic reaction that uses sucrose isomerase (SIase, EC5. 4. 99. 11) to catalyze the generation of isomaltulose from sucrose, and has great commercial potential.

Applications of Isomaltulose.

Isomaltulose has similar physical and chemical properties to sucrose. It is used in products such as cream instead of sucrose and has similar viscosity and fluid characteristics to sucrose. Isomaltulose has a pure sweet taste, can mask odor, balance the taste, and improve the flavor of food. It provides convenience for the development of functional foods with good taste using natural and healthy raw materials. At the same time, it slowly releases energy and does not cause blood sugar to rise. The health effects of preventing dental caries and improving brain function make it widely used in food for specific groups of people.

1. Application in dairy products.

Isomaltulose has been widely used in dairy products. The application of isomaltulose in dairy products can mask the odor and give dairy products certain health effects, which provides help for the development of dairy foods for children and middle-aged and elderly people.

2. Application in baked goods.

GB2760-2014 stipulates that the limit requirement for isomaltulose used in baked goods such as bread, pastries, and biscuits is to add an appropriate amount as needed. Domestic companies have added isomaltulose to biscuits, hand-shredded bread and other products. Isomaltulose can be used in baked goods to improve product taste and storage stability. Since isomaltulose is almost non-hygroscopic, it is used in Waffles,which can significantly improve the product structure.

3. Application in confectionery and chocolate.

Isomaltulose has excellent properties such as stable physical and chemical properties, low hygroscopicity, and ease of refining and grinding, which makes its application in confectionery and chocolate very advantageous. Used in hard candies to prevent the candies from sticking together and making the candies less likely to deform. Isomaltulose hard candies have a high glass transition temperature and high temperature stability, making them ideal even in areas with hot flash climates; Coating raw materials can be used to prepare soft candies, chocolate beans, pralines, and gel-type products. The low processing temperature of isomaltulose (45°C ~ 55°C) can successfully complete the coating of heat-sensitive core materials; isomaltulone Sugar has a taste comparable to sucrose and is not affected by the cold effect. It is used in chocolate to make the sweetness natural, and can be combined with fat substitutes and fillers to give chocolate stable flow properties.

4. Used for food development for specific groups of people.

The low GI value of isomaltulose provides the basis for its use in food for diabetics. The application of isomaltulose in the development of sports foods is also very common abroad. For example, the Belgian 3 Action sports nutrition series products use isomaltulose as the main raw material, which can provide energy and power for a long time.

Isomaltulose is used to inhibit fat accumulation and accelerate fat oxidation. By using isomaltulose as one of the raw materials, and combining it with other healthy ingredients, products with slimming effects can be developed, at the same time, having low GI and low GL diet helps maintain weight after losing weight.