Yes, maltitol is a sugar substitute.
Maltitol is a new type of functional sweetener. It is low-calorie, difficult to digest and absorb, and the blood sugar level rises less. It will not increase cholesterol, and it will hardly decompose in the body, so it is necessary for the secretion of insulin for glucose metabolism , there is no stimulating effect, thus reducing the secretion of insulin. It can be seen that maltitol can be used as a sweetener for diabetic patients.
In addition, children's consumption can also prevent the occurrence of dental caries.
Maltitol is white crystalline powder or colorless and transparent neutral viscous liquid, easily soluble in water but insoluble in methanol and ethanol. It has strong hygroscopicity and is generally commercialized as maltitol syrup.
The sweetness of maltitol is 75%~90% of that of sucrose, and it has the characteristics of heat resistance, acid resistance, moisture retention and non-fermentation. Retaining agent, stabilizer, leavening agent, sweetener.
The detailed physical and chemical properties are as follows:
(1) Maltitol is easily soluble in water.
(2) Maltitol has the same sweetness as sucrose, and has a mild sweetness and no off-flavor.
(3) Maltitol has significant hygroscopicity, which can be used as a humectant for various foods or to prevent the crystallization of sucrose.
(4) Maltitol is not easily utilized by mold, yeast and lactic acid bacteria, and can prevent dental caries.
(5) Maltitol is difficult to be digested and metabolized in animals, and it is a good low-energy sweetener.
(6) When the human body ingests maltitol, blood sugar will not rise rapidly, and insulin secretion will not be stimulated.
(7) The role of maltitol in the diet is not only that it has low calories, but also can inhibit the storage of fat in the human body when it is eaten with high-fat foods.
(8) Maltitol has emulsion stability and can be used as a fat substitute to produce low-calorie foods with the same taste as fat.
Addition requirements and applications of maltitol
According to my country's "Hygienic Standard for the Use of Food Additives" (GB2760-1996): Maltitol can be used in ice cream, popsicles, cakes, juice (flavored) beverages, biscuits, bread, pickles and candies in appropriate amounts according to production needs; used in fruit juices (Taste) beverages are added at 80% of the dilution ratio, and there is no clearly specified upper limit requirement.
Maltitol can be added in candy, chocolate, fruit juice and ice cream. The specific applications are as follows:
(1) Application in functional food
Maltitol is hardly decomposed in the body, so it can be used as a food material for diabetics and obese patients.
(2) For candy and chocolate production
cakes with maltitol
Due to its good flavor and taste, good moisture retention and non-crystallinity, maltitol can be used to make various candies, including foamed marshmallows, hard candies, transparent soft candies, and the like.
(3) Application in fruit juice drinks
Maltitol has a certain viscosity and is difficult to ferment, so when making suspended fruit juice beverages or lactic acid beverages, adding maltitol instead of part of sugar can make the beverage taste plump and smooth.
(4) Application in frozen food
The use of maltitol in ice cream can make the product delicate and thick, sweet and delicious, and prolong the shelf life.
As a food additive, maltitol is allowed to be used in cold drinks, cakes, juices, biscuits, bread, pickles and candies, and the dosage can be determined according to production needs.
Sugar-free cake, also known as healthy cake, will not be directly converted into ingredients that raise blood sugar, low-calorie, low-calorie, suitable for everyone, especially patients and people who are afraid of gaining weight.
What is the difference between maltitol and erythritol?
Erythritol is a newly developed 4-carbon sugar alcohol, which can be obtained by fermentation of glucose. It is a white crystalline powder with a refreshing sweetness and is not easy to absorb moisture. It is stable at high temperature and has a mild cooling sensation when dissolved in the mouth. in a variety of foods.
Erythritol is low in calories, only one-tenth of the calories of sucrose. Erythritol cannot be catabolized by enzymes in the human body, does not provide energy, does not participate in sugar metabolism, and can only be excreted through urine.
The human body has high tolerance to erythritol and alcohol, its molecular weight is small, and its absorption is small, thus avoiding the occurrence of diarrhea caused by hypertonicity, and avoiding the phenomenon of flatulence caused by intestinal bacterial fermentation.
Erythritol is not used by human oral bacteria, so that caries will not occur, and it can inhibit the growth of oral bacteria, thereby protecting the teeth.
It can be seen from the above that in fact, the two sweeteners, maltitol and erythritol, are quite similar, and their differences are very subtle.
The sweetness of erythritol is 0.6-0.7 of sucrose, and the sweetness of maltitol is 0.75-0.9 of sucrose. They are both sugar alcohols and are used in various processed foods.
From a health point of view, it's no different.
