Bulk sweeteners functionality

Bulking sweeteners provide a bulking effect, along with some of the sweetness and functional properties of sugar. They may be used alone to replace sugar in appHcations that can tolerate some reduction in sweetness. Products that fall into this category include mannitol [69-65-8], a sugar alcohol... 

Sweetness free, or at least virtually free, from calories establishes the need for intense sweeteners while suitability for diabetics, absence of carcinogenicity with functionality similar to sucrose and related carbohydrates form the basis for application of bulk sweeteners. 

Because of their non-metabolism or insignificant contribution to the calorie content of a diet, intense sweeteners seem to be an ideal means to lower calorie intake in sweet-tasting foods and beverages. Such a simple approach, however, would not take into consideration that function and properties of bulk sweeteners determine characteristics of many sweet-tasting products, e.g. texture, appearance and shelf stability amongst others.3... 

As bulk sweeteners provide the functionality of carbohydrate sweeteners they are mainly used in applications in which normally high amounts of sugar would... 

Intense sweeteners have low functionality besides their sweet taste. Therefore intense sweeteners cannot be used as the only sweetening agents whenever at least one of the mentioned functions is important for a product. Combinations of intense and bulk sweeteners will come close to sucrose and other sweet carbohydrates in functionality and taste, and can therefore be considered as an interesting alternative to sugar in applications requiring functional properties. They are often used in addition to bulk sweeteners in the typical application of these. 

Many sweet-tasting foods and beverages, however, do not require the functionality of sucrose and sweet carbohydrates. These products are the typical fields of application of intense sweeteners. As bulk sweeteners are used for taste reasons rather than functionality these products offer possibilities to reduce calories without sacrificing any important product characteristic. Intense sweeteners are used as the sole sweetening agents in beverages, table-top sweeteners like powder or tablets, desserts and dairy products besides a variety of further areas of lesser importance. 

A variety of bulk sweeteners is now available (Table 10.2). They belong to the class of sugar alcohols. Some monosaccharide alcohols have been used for decades, and disaccharide alcohols have broadened the range of available functional characteristics. 

For example, the natural sugars (sucrose, fructose, etc.) arc best known for their contribution of sweetness to food products. The sugars, however, also perform other useful functions, including their natural preservative qualities and, in many foods such as baked goods, contribute considerable bulk to the finished product. As described under Sweeteners, a number of artificial, non-carbohydrate compounds serve as excellent sweeteners, but they lack the ability to achieve the desired bulk,... 

Sweetness is one of the most important taste sensations for humans. Sucrose has been widely used for its sweetness as well as for functional properties such as texture, mouthfeel, bulking agent, and preservative. However, the specialized dietary requirements of diabetics and health concerns about obesity and dental caries have prompted a considerable research effort into the development of alternative sweeteners (1-6). 

JH Giese. Alternative sweeteners and bulking agents an overview of their properties, function and regulatory status. Food Technol 47(1) 114-126, 1993. 

A hydroxypropylated starch hydrolyzate with a DP 2-6 (DE 20-45) functions as a bulking agent. When combined with a high-intensity sweetener, it is useful as a reduced calorie replacement for sucrose.233... 

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