“Emerging Natural Sweetener Properties” was presented at the 2016 Clean Label Conference by Catalin Moraru, Ph.D., Group Leader, International Food Network, LLC.
Abstract: Sweetness is an important attribute in a wide range of foods, from fruits and vegetables to formulated products. Even a touch of sweetness may significantly improve the appeal of food products, as most humans are innately attracted to sweet foods. While many clean label-friendly sweetening ingredients are now available in the marketplace, formulators need to understand their functionality and properties in order to adequately select the best solution for a given situation. This presentation reviewed key properties of conventional and emerging sweeteners, with particular focus on some of the properties of sweeteners considered natural by many.
An excerpt from the written summary of this presentation: Sweeteners are among the top strategies for cleaning up labels; this strategy is being employed by the industry, as over the past four years the use of the “natural” sweetener stevia has increased more than 30%. The FDA’s new labeling rule to include the amount of added sugars on a product’s Nutrition Facts panel will focus
even more attention on sweeteners.
Most nutritive sweeteners have similar or lower sweetness compared to sugar. In contrast, high-potency sweeteners are significantly sweeter than sugar; therefore, they are used in much smaller quantities. The natural high-potency sweeteners approved in the U.S. are stevia and monk fruit extracts. Some others are FEMA GRAS, so they can be used and labeled as flavors, but may enhance sweetness. Flavor houses use some of them as sweetness modulators.
Click here to view the written summary “Natural Sweetener Key Properties” of this presentation.
Click on the button below to download a PDF of Moraru’s PowerPoint presentation “Emerging Natural Sweeteners.”
