As the concept of "sugar-free" is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, the market size of sugar-free diet products continues to expand, and sweeteners play a vital role in the development of sugar-free products. However, the current domestic mainstream sweeteners restrict their development in terms of taste and raw material supply. The discovery and application of Allulose is a breakthrough in the market of sugar substitute products!

What is Allulose?

Allulose is an isomer of fructose, a monosaccharide that exists in nature but in very small amounts. Its sweetness is similar to that of sucrose, but its calories are much lower than that of sucrose. Compared with D-glucose and D-fructose, Allulose also has a stronger ability to scavenge active oxygen.

Since Allulose is rare in nature, it is not suitable for chemical synthesis and industrial production. It is generally synthesized by biological methods, and the products produced are relatively simple and belong to natural products, which meet the needs of consumers. Allulose was approved by the United States as a GRAS substance in 2011.

Allulose is a natural ingredient found in foods such as fruits, raisins, figs, kiwis, and brown sugar. It is a white powder, and its aqueous solution is a transparent, colorless liquid that is stable at room temperature and pressure. Allulose can provide satisfactory sweetness for dairy products, beverages, bakery products, confectionery and other foods.

The following advantages of Allulose have established its "dark horse" status.

1. Low calorie, low GI value.

The sweetness of Allulose is about 70% of that of sucrose, but the glycemic index (GI value) and calories are far lower than that of sucrose, and the calories are only one-tenth of sucrose. FDA stipulates that the calories of Allulose are 0.4kal /g. Because Allulose will not be metabolized by the human body and has low fermentation availability to intestinal microorganisms, it will not cause gastrointestinal discomfort like sugar alcohols.

2. The taste is close to sucrose.

In terms of taste, the sweetness of Allulose is soft and delicate, which is very similar to the pure sweetness of high-purity sucrose. The initial stimulation of taste buds is faster than that of sucrose, and there is no bad taste during and after consumption. Its sweetness will not change with temperature, and it can show pure sweetness at various temperatures.

3. Improve product quality.

Allulose and egg white protein can not only form a better cross-linking structure through the Maillard reaction, improving food texture but also generate substances with high antioxidant effect, which can reduce oxidation loss in food processing and storage. Using allulose powder to partially replace sucrose in cakes can produce a large amount of antioxidant components through the Maillard reaction, thereby improving the quality of cakes.

Physiological functions of Allulose.

1. The role of nerve protection.

The results of in vitro studies show that 50mM D-Allulose can inhibit the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine-induced apoptosis of catecholaminergic PC12 cells (an in vivo model of Parkinson's disease) by increasing the level of intracellular glutathione to protect the nerves. It shows that D-Allulose is expected to play an important role as a neuroprotective agent in the treatment of some neurodegenerative diseases.

2. Inhibit blood sugar rise.

Allulose can inhibit the activity of α-glucosidase in the intestine, protect the islet β cells in the pancreas to improve insulin resistance and increase the uptake of glucose by fat and muscle tissue. Studies have found that the ability of Allulose to lower postprandial blood sugar levels is superior to that of well-known dietary fibre raw materials.

3. Reduce fat accumulation.

Obesity is closely related to the intake of high-calorie and high-sugar foods. D-Allulose sweetener not only provides almost no calories but also can reduce the absorption rate of sugars such as sucrose and maltose in the small intestine and the activity of fat synthase enzymes in the body. In addition, D-Allulose can increase the expression level of lipoxygenase, effectively control body weight and treat obesity by inhibiting the rate of fat synthesis and increasing the rate of lipolysis.

The safety and future trend of Allulose.

In 2011, the FDA officially certified the safety of D-Allulose (GRAS), and began to allow it to be used as a dietary additive and some food ingredients. In 2011, the FDA announced that Allulose, a low-calorie sweetener, will be excluded from the labels of "added sugar" and "total sugar". From then on, it is no longer necessary to calculate the amount added in these two categories. And the heat of Allulose is set at 0.4kcal/g.

Allulose has become a hot food additive for overseas brands. According to GMI (Global Market Insights) statistics, the market size of D-Allulose reached 90 million US dollars in 2022, and is expected to reach 370 million US dollars by 2023, the industry predicts that organic allulose will become the next popular natural sweetener sweeping the world after stevia and erythritol.

In the Chinese market, Allulose bulk produced by allulose manufacturers has not yet been approved as a new food raw material, but the industry and enterprises are actively promoting regulatory approval. In December 2022, CFSA issued the "Regarding the public solicitation of opinions on 6 new food additives including D-Allulose-3-epimerase". In August 2021, the National Health and Medical Commission accepted a number of applications for D-Allulose as a new food raw material. It is expected that it may be approved in the second half of 2023 or 2024 in China. Moreover, with the improvement of people's living standards and health awareness, D-Allulose will have a broader market prospect in China.

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