Substances which increase the sweetness of food. There are two main groups: bulk sweeteners and intense sweeteners.
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Bulk sweeteners, such as hydrogenated glucose syrup and sorbitol, are used as flavour-enhancers in many processed foods; they have about the same calorific value as natural sugars. Sorbitol is frequently used as a sugar substitute in confectionery. It is used especially in confectionery for diabetics because it is slowly absorbed and therefore puts less strain on the pancreas than glucose and sucrose. It should be used with care, however, because it has a laxative side-effect with which some people find difficult to cope. European Community directives recommend bulk sweeteners should not be used in food intended for children under three years of age.
Intense sweeteners, such as aspartame and saccharin, have no calories so they are often used as part of weight reducing diets. They produce their sweet taste by triggering specific receptors on the tongue. Some people believe that intense sweeteners disturb blood glucose control, stimulate the appetite, and increase the likelihood of suffering hunger pangs when on a weight-loss diet; there is little scientific evidence for this belief.
New, chemically engineered products much sweeter than current products are being developed and awaiting full approval. Among these super sweeteners are sucralose, 600 times sweeter than sugar, and alitame which is times sweeter. See also aspartame;acesulfame-K;cyclamate; and saccharin.
From sorbitol to xylitol. Calories, glycemic index and sweetening power of the 7 polyols widely used in the food industry
The polyols (or sugar alcohols) are sweeteners of vegetable origin widely used in bakery products labeled 'unsweetened', such as biscuits, snacks, sweets. On the other hand, they are prohibited in drinks.
They are defined 'bulk sweeteners' (Bulk Sweeteners), not for their popularity but because they provide consistency to the product where they are inserted, in addition to sweetening it. The sweetening power is, moreover, lower than that of the so-called 'intensive sweeteners'- almost always synthetic (aspartame, acesulfame k, etc.), with the exception of steviol glycosides - and are sometimes mixed with them to give the products a balanced compromise between the desired flavor and sweetness.
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All polyols provide 2,4 calories per gram, instead of the 4 calories / gram provided by sucrose, or common sugar, white or cane that is. (1) With the exception of erythritol, which is completely calorie-free and nevertheless has a lower sweetening power.
The side effect of an excessive consumption of polyols - which must therefore be specifically indicated on the labels of foods that contain it (2) - is the laxative effect.
Diabetic subjects can take polyols, since the metabolism of these substances does not affect insulin. And the variety of index glicemico which distinguishes the different substances, as indicated in the table below.
Marta Strinati
Footnotes
(1) 10kJ / g - 2,4 kcal / g is in fact the conversion coefficient established for polyols in Annex XIV to reg. EU /11