A Spoonful of Sugar Replacers Helps the Calories Go Down

A Spoonful of Sugar Replacers Helps the Calories Go Down

by Susan Colebank

During World War II, a person was only allowed to buy 4 oz. of sugar per week. How times have changed. As of 1999, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported Americans consume 158 pounds of sugar per year, per person. That same year, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to set a recommended daily value for sugar 10 teaspoons a day, as suggested by USDA. However, if Americans addiction to all things sweet is any indication, CSPIs request will not be granted any time soon.

Luckily, in todays age of nutritive and non-nutritive sweeteners, theres no need to use so much sugar. In the most recent USDA statistics, a total of 48.6 million pounds of high-intensity sweeteners were consumed in 1991 by Americans. According to statistics from the Calorie Control Council, an international non-profit association representing the low-calorie and reduced-fat food and beverage industry, 163 million Americans were consuming low-calorie, sugar-free food and beverages as of 2000up from 68 million reported in 1984. Interestingly, 73 percent of the millions of adults using low-cal sweeteners do so not to lose weight, but to lead a healthier lifestyle.

According to the Freedonia Group, the U.S. sweetener industry is marked for continued growth as health-conscious consumers seek foods with moderate sugar and calories that dont sacrifice taste or texture. AC Nielsen projects the sugar substitute market was $310 million for the 52 weeks ended Nov. 1, 2003. The most popular sugar-free products? Diet soft drinks (48 percent of all consumers), sugar-free non-carbonated drinks (37 percent) and sugar-free frozen desserts (34 percent).

Sweeteners is a catch-all term for sugar replacers that can be broken down into non-nutritive and nutritive categories. Non-nutritive sweeteners are, for the most part, non-caloric, and include saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame potassium and sucralose. Nutritive sweetenersso named because they contain calories that contribute to energy productioninclude table sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, dextrose and sugar alcohols, or polyols. They enhance the moisture, tenderness and mouth feel of food, especially baked goods, while also acting as a preservative in some foods.

When you take a nutritive sugar out of a product to make a lowcarb or reduced-sugar food, you have to do two thingsyou have to replace the sweetness and you have to replace that bulk, said Ron Perko, brand development manager, polyols, for Minneapolis-based Cargill. Sugar represents such a significant part of many products such as a cake or a cookie or even a beverage. The texture, the body and the mouth feel of that product changes when sugar is taken away.

Non-Nutritive Sweeteners

Non-nutritive sweeteners occur naturally in a variety of fruits and vegetables, but they are extracted from sucrose, glucose or starch when created for commercial purposes. All are considered noncaloric, except aspartame, which creates a slight rise in the glycemic index (GI). Based on the sweetness of sucrose (table sugar), these sweeteners are considered to be high intensity since they are 30 to 13,000 times sweeter.

Saccharin

, which is derived from methyl anthranilate (a constituent found in both petroleum and grapes), is 300 times as sweet as sugar. In 1977, though, FDA proposed a ban on saccharin after it was found to cause cancer in research animals. However, it remains inconclusive as to whether saccharin has the same carcinogenic effects in humans. In fact, researchers from the American Health Foundation in Valhalla, N.Y., reported saccharins link to bladder tumors in rat models may be the result of the high pH environment found only in the male rat, which may predispose the rat to contracting toxic microscopic crystals.¹ Earlier, in a human study using more than 1,100 volunteers, using artificial sweeteners such as saccharin was not associated with cancer of the lower urinary tract.²

On the plus side, it produces no glycemic response and synergizes the sweetening power of nutritive and non-nutritive sweeteners. It works well in soft drinks, baked goods, salad dressingseven cosmetics and vitamins.

Aspartame

discovered in 1965 and approved as a sweetener by FDA in 1981contains 4 calories per gram, but because it is 200 times sweeter than sugar, very little aspartame is used making its caloric content negligible. Made from the amino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine, it is considered the most popular sugar substitute; aspartame is currently found in more than 6,000 products, thanks to a taste profile thats similar to sugar. And, after 20 years of studies, researchers report the sweetener is nontoxic.³ Products containing aspartame have to carry a warning, however, since the sweetener contains phenylalanine, which some people cannot break down in their bodies.

Acesulfame potassium

(or Ace-K) is used in beverages, prepared foods and table sweeteners. It contains no calories, is heat stable and, when used with other low-cal sweeteners, improves the taste and stability of low-cal foods and beverages. It produces no glycemic response in the body, and its sweetness (200 times that of sugar) is not reduced by heating; it can also be used in beverages that need to be pasteurized.

Ace-K, as Sunett from Somerset, N.J.-based Nutrinova, blends very well in partially reduced sugar products, creating up to an 80-percent reduction in sugar. These reduced-sugar, lowcalorie, low-carb foods and beverages are often indistinguishable by consumers of full-sugar counterparts, said Graham Hall, Nutrinovas chief operating officer. This is important as consumers do not want to compromise taste for calories. Since high-intensity sweeteners are typically less expensive than sugar on a sweetness contribution basis, significant economical advantages can also be gained.

Another sweetener that doesnt produce a glycemic response is sucralose, the only one in the non-nutritive category made from sugar. Interestingly, research has indicated using sucralose for three months at doses of 7.5 mg/kg/dayapproximately three times the estimated maximum intakehad no effect on glucose levels in Type II diabetics.⁴

It is 600 times sweeter than sugar, contains no calories and is stable under a wide variety of processing conditions. FDA approved sucralose for consumption in 1998. One of the most exciting findings from our consumer and ingredient customer research is the tremendous interest in reducing the overall amount of added sugar in either a consumers diet or in food and beverages, said Carolyn M. Merkel, Ph.D., executive director, strategic ingredient technology, for New Brunswick, N.J.-based McNeil Nutritionals. Splenda is leading the way with a concept called sugar blending. By blending sucrose, or sugar, with Splenda, one can reduce the overall added sugar to ones recipewhether as a baked goods company or a consumer.

Another high-intensity, non-nutritive sweetener (but which hasnt gotten FDAs stamp of approval) is stevia. Stevia can be sold as a dietary supplement, but not as a sweetener or any other food additive. The safety of stevia has been questioned by published studies, Martha Peiperl in FDAs Office of Premarket Approval told FDA Consumer in 1999. And no one has ever provided FDA with adequate evidence that the substance is safe.

Stevia, which is 300 times as sweet as sucrose, is a terpene derivative; it comes from Stevia rebaudiana, a plant in the daisy family. It has not been generally recognized as safe (GRAS), and in 1985, the University of Illinois reported stevias steviosides altered the DNA of bacteria,⁵ which may have influenced FDAs position that stevias safety is still questionable. More study is needed to learn whether the same changes, which might lead to cancer, could occur in people, NCI has said.

Stevia may one day have a future as an FDA-approved sweetener: It has been found to lower blood pressure levels in patients with hypertension⁵ and regulate postprandial glucose levels in Type II diabetics.⁶ According to Mesa, Ariz.-based Wisdom Natural Brands, makers of stevia products, there have not been any studies relating the use of stevioside with genetic disorders or diseases.

Nutritive Sweeteners

The category of nutritive sweeteners is dominated by polyols, or sugar alcohols, which are carbohydrates but not sugars. Those currently allowed in foods include erythritol (.2 calories per gram) and xylitol (2.4 calories per gram).

In some cases, polyols are used for functionality that goes beyond their calorie-reducing benefits. For example, polyols also offer mouth-cooling and flavor-masking benefits, whereas conventional sugars do not.

Food- and beverage-wise, polyols do not absorb water the way sugar does, meaning foods made with them do not become sticky on the surface as quickly as those made from sugar. Also, mold and bacteria do not grow on these sweeteners, another plus that comes from their hydrophobic properties.

These are boom times for polyols with all the low carb food development going ontheyre right in the center of that, Perko said, adding Cargill just introduced a new polyol product: Eridex erythritol. It has novel properties compared to other available polyols. For example, it is the only commercial polyol that is produced naturally through fermentation (from an organism isolated from pollen found in a bee hive) rather than through chemical hydrogenation. Its only 70 percent as sweet as sugar, but for manufacturers calculating net carbs, it does not count toward a raise in blood glucose levels.

According to Robyn Frisch of Ronkonkoma, N.Y.-based Rochem International, which distributes China-based Yucheng Futan Pharmacy Co.s erythritol, the polyol has a high digestive tolerance, is safe for people with diabetes and, like many of the nutritive and nonnutritive sweeteners, does not promote tooth decay.

Erythritol, which is GRAS, is finding a place in a gamut of applications, and Rochem reported the sweetener has shown an increase in demand from the baked-goods sector of the food industry. Additionally, erythritol can be found in everything from sugar-free chocolate to a Diet Pepsi Slurpee at the corner 7-Eleven.

Discovered in 1891, xylitol is a naturally occurring polyol sweetener found in many fruits and vegetablesin addition to birchwood where it is usually extracted for commercial purposesand is even produced by the human body.

Xylitol is considered the sweetest of all the polyols, and falls under approved food additive. It is the only sweetener to show both passive and active cavity-fighting effects,⁷ as well as benefits for otitis media (ringing ear syndrome).⁸ It is as sweet as sucrose with no aftertaste.

According to Danisco Sweeteners in Surrey, England, makers of Xylitab xylitol, polyols are a big contributor for making a product low carb. Many consumers are striving to reduce their net impact carb intake, the company reported. Manufacturers are reformulating their products to meet demand for low or reduced carbohydrate products such as breads, cakes, etc. Certain ingredients such as polyols ... have a minimal impact on blood sugar and are not included in a products net carb count.

Not all nutritive sweeteners are being used for low-calorie, low carb or sweetening purposes. Trehaloseprevalent in mushrooms and yeastis not low-calorie (its 4 calories per gram). Trehalose is self-affirmed GRAS and is considered more of a protein sugar, protecting cell structure. For instance, when combining it with a soy- or whey-protein product, trehalose preserves and protects these proteins. If manufacturers want to formulate high-protein beverages, trehalose makes the protein more soluble and stable. You cant make a low carb claim with it, but you can make a low carb, high-protein product taste much better with trehalose, said Jim Kappas, director of international and emerging products at Cargill. The secondary benefit of trehalose is that it keeps a low sweetness profile.

It is 45 percent as sweet as sucrose and has been found in vivo and in vitro to have less cavity-promoting potential compared to sucrose;⁹ it also does not cause a laxative effect typical of other nutritive sweeteners. And, in an animal model, trehalose was found to significantly extend the life span of mice afflicted with Huntington disease.¹⁰

Nutritive sweeteners also help improve the overall end product more so than sugar does. Short-chain fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are similar to sucrose, and may also increase calcium and magnesium absorption; as GTC Nutritions NutraFlora, FOS are also safe for diabetics and contain only 1.4 cal/g.

Joining Forces

Many in the sweetener industry talk about synergistic combinations. Sweetener blends were first introduced in the 1960s via soft drinks, when saccharin and cyclamate were used to create a synergistic effect.

The International Food Information Council (IFIC) reported blends of low-cal sweeteners in foods and beverages may act in tandem to produce the desired level of sweetness in a product. Even the laxative effect that has been seen with some polyols can be overcome by combining them with other non-laxative sweeteners to lessen their effects. The resulting taste often better meets consumer expectations of a sweetness profile close to that of sugar, IFIC stated.

One such blend is a combination of Ace-K, oligofructose and mung bean extract, as Triarcos BakeFlora line, which helps absorb calcium and other minerals. BakeFlora can be blended with sugar alcohols such as erythritol, ultimately improving the mouth feel of the final product and masking the cooling effect of the sugar alcohols; BakeFlora, together with sugar alcohols, removes the need to add any high-intensity sweeteners.

Sometimes, an ingredient that isnt necessarily a sweetener can enhance the benefits of a sugar replacer. Cargills Oliggo- Fiber, a self-affirmed GRAS inulin ingredient, is not considered a sweetener but, when combined with erythritol and other polyols, can create table sugar substitutes as well as low carb and other sugar-free foods. It offers approximately 1 calorie to 1.5 calories per gram and also helps increase calcium absorption, which offers an unexpected health benefit when eating a guilty food like chocolate.

Marcelo Borges de Campos, food applications manager at GTC Nutrition, added, Most sweeteners do not present the same intensity of sweetness as sucrose, or else the sweetness is perceived in a different time frame or else has some sort of aftertaste. Ultimately, there is no miracle sweetener alternative that will work well for all applications. Usually, sugar replacement requires a combination of ingredients that will change to each specific food or beverage.

With the breadth of sweeteners out there, which one is right for the manufacturer of reduced-sugar foods and beverages? There are many things manufacturers need to know about venturing into a marketplace with reduced sugar products, Merkel said. Chief among them is the functional changes that can occur in products when sugar is removed. Careful reformulation to balance sweetness, flavor and texture is critical to product success. ... Manufacturers will need to work with several suppliers to ensure all the key attributes are optimized to meet the marketing targets.

On a final note, even the medical community reports sugar replacers should be seriously considered when choosing a product. Scientific evidence supports neither that intakes of nutritive sweeteners by themselves increase the risk of obesity nor that nutritive or non-nutritive sweeteners cause behavioral disorders, said the American Dietetic Association (ADA) in a February 2004 position statement.¹¹ However, high fructose intakes may cause hypertriglyceridemia and gastrointestinal symptoms in susceptible individuals. Thus, it is the position of The American Dietetic Association that consumers can safely enjoy a range of nutritive and non-nutritive sweeteners when consumed in a diet that is guided by current federal nutrition recommendations.

For a full list of references to this story,

click here.