More than one sugar

“We have always been proud of our record of sourcing the finest quality cane sugars from the best environmentally and socially responsible producers,” said CEO Nigel Willerton. “The decision to certify [as fair trade-sourced] our line of organic sugars comes from our company’s commitment to make a difference in our community and the world with every spoonful of sugar.” The firm believes that elimination of pesticides from the cane fields, and growing in a sustainable way, will allow the premium. Wholesome Sweeteners is a division of The Billington Group, a specialty foods company from the United Kingdom.

Hain Pure Foods, a Boulder, Colo., division of Hain Celestial Group, has introduced two organic breath mint products (mint and cinnamon) that are certified organic by Oregon Tilth and sweetened with organically grown cane juice. The firm also offers a full line of organic sugars, including turbinado, organic sugar, organic brown sugar and organic powdered sugar.

A major user of organic sugar is food processing giant H.J. Heinz Co. The Pittsburgh company introduced Heinz Organic Ketchup in mid-2002. Casey Keller, managing director for ketchup, noted at the time, “The organic condiments category is growing rapidly because consumers today want more choices that fit their lifestyles. We believe the time is now right to bring Heinz to this fast-growing segment of consumers.” According to a spokesperson, sales continue to be good.

The functions of sugar

A major problem with removing sugar from foods is sugar provides function as well as flavor. Sugar acts as a tenderizer in baked foods and custards; keeps the osmotic pressure high to prevent spoilage in jams, jellies, salad dressings and condiments; delays discoloration on the surface of frozen fruits; and crystallizes candies and frostings in specific ways to make particular textures.

Sugar is used to stabilize foams, trap air into batters and turn crusts a crispy brown. Sucrose, having a reducing end, triggers the Maillard reaction in dextrose in combination with protein and moisture. Using a sugar with fewer reducing ends, such as lactose or maltose, produces a paler crust in baked goods. Lactose and maltose are lower in sweetening power and are often used either to prevent the Maillard reaction or to reduce sweetness.

A popular use of sugars is to form a “glass” or glaze that encloses flavoring material, protecting it from oxidation. Dextrose, sucrose and maltose have been used for this purpose, and the special characteristics of the sugars provide some different effects. High-maltose syrups have been used for a number of years to make lollipops that don’t drip.

Not too sweet: Domino’s new Envision product adds sugar’s texture and osmotic pressure conditions to foods such as salad dressings without imparting a sweet taste.

Sugar molecules come in a variety of sizes, and as they get larger (more glucose units in the string) they tend to become less sweet. But they may have interesting properties that deserve your attention. Maltodextrins that have about 14 to 20 glucose units (degree of polymerization) have been found to carry calcium into the gut where it is taken up more easily by the body.

Fructooligosaccharides of certain types appear to have this property as well. One such product from Orafti, called Beneo Synergy1, combines oligofructose and inulin, derived from chicory root. Oligofructose and inulin are natural ingredients that occur in most plants and vegetables. Chemically, the product is a glucose molecule bonded to multiple fructose molecules. The orientation of the molecules is such that enzymes in the normal human system cannot break the molecules apart, so many of them are not digested (so they don’t add calories). Because of this, they are often regarded as fiber.

Short-chain fructooligosaccharides are selectively fermented by the intestinal flora, so they can carry calcium to the lower intestine, where it is assimilated. According to Orafti, Synergy1 helps the body absorb more essential nutrients, such as calcium, from the diet.

Other sugar compounds such as branched maltodextrins, made by a combination of enzymes, are disclosed in patents assigned to Roquette Freres as a useful ingredient for improving the assimilation of calcium and magnesium in enteral formulas. The branched maltodextrins have a defined ratio of branching that is not digested by humans.

Cargill (through its Cerestar subsidiary) has opened a U.S. plant for the manufacture of polyols, which are being used in growing amounts, according to Per Ole Jensen, global business director of polyols. A new product called Maltidex HP (high purity) liquid maltitol, is a valuable replacement for crystalline maltitol, particularly in coated, sugar-free chewing gums, where it adds convenience, provides cost and labor savings and reduces bag waste. The product is 98 percent pure maltitol and can replace sucrose pound for pound.

Cargill has been active in designing new sweetening systems using polyols, sugars and high-intensity sweeteners to match the flavor and texture of full-fat, full-sugar formulas with fewer calories, says Kathy Fortmann, product manager for polyols and dextrose for Cargill Sweetness Solutions.

Not necessarily sweet

One big formulation quandary is gaining the functional properties of sugar in products that are not supposed to taste sweet. For this reason, corn millers have developed a number of low sweetness products, called maltodextrins. But these products, while very useful in some applications, are not crystalline enough for some uses and can be mildly sticky.