Application of Erythritol in the Food Industry
Jul 14, 2022
Application of Erythritol in the Food Industry
Erythritol is a newly developed 4-carbon sugar alcohol that can be produced by fermentation of glucose. It is a white crystalline powder with a refreshing sweetness, not easy to absorb moisture, stable at high temperature, stable in a wide pH range, and when dissolved in the mouth It has a mild cooling sensation and is suitable for a variety of foods.
Main Nature
• Low sweetness
The sweetness of erythritol is only 60%-70% of that of sucrose. It has a refreshing taste, pure taste, and no bitterness. It can be used in combination with high-power sweeteners to suppress the bad flavor of high-power sweeteners.
• High stability
It is very stable to acid and heat and has high acid and alkali resistance. It will not decompose and change below 200 degrees, and will not change color due to the Maillard reaction.
• The high heat of dissolution
Erythritol has an endothermic effect when it is dissolved in water. The heat of dissolution is only 97.4KJ/KG, which is higher than glucose and sorbitol. It has a cooling sensation when consumed.
• Solubility
The solubility of erythritol at 25°C is 37% (W/W). As the temperature rises, the solubility of erythritol increases, making it easy to crystallize and precipitate crystals.
• Low hygroscopicity
Erythritol is very easy to crystallize, but it will not absorb moisture in a 90% humidity environment, and it is easy to crush to obtain a powdered product, which can be used on the surface of the food to prevent food from deteriorating due to moisture absorption.
Applications in the food industry
• Drink category
In recent years, erythritol has been used in the development of new zero-calorie, low-calorie beverages. Erythritol can increase the sweetness, heaviness, and smoothness of the drink while reducing the bitterness, and it can also cover up other odors and improve the flavor of the drink. Erythritol can also be used for refreshing solid beverages because erythritol absorbs a lot of heat when it dissolves; Erythritol can promote the combination of ethanol molecules and water molecules, and alcoholic beverages can reduce the smell and sense of alcohol Stimulation can effectively improve the quality of liquor and wine. Erythritol can also significantly improve the unpleasant odors of plant extracts, collagen, peptides, and other substances. Therefore, some collagen products have been added with erythritol to improve the mouthfeel.
• Baked goods
Sucrose and oil are the main raw materials for making bakery products. They play a very important role in forming the unique structure, taste, and flavor of bakery products. They are indispensable raw materials for the production of high-quality bakery products. Erythritol is a proven raw material. It can not only replace sucrose in physical and chemical aspects, but also bring health benefits, and the bakery products that use erythritol have better structural tightness and softness than products that also use sucrose as raw materials. And there are different mouth-melting properties and subtle color differences. The erythritol used in bakery products is preferably in powder form or crystals with fine particle size (<200um). The fine particles will give the product a smooth and round taste.
Baked products contain high-component flour, butter, and sucrose. It is difficult to prove that their products can reduce calories. However, the application of erythritol can easily solve this problem.
• Pharmaceutical industry
Erythritol's anti-caries, anti-oxidation, moisturizing and non-flammability properties make its application in the fields of medicine and daily chemicals continue to expand.
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