If intensive sweeteners are not the solution, how can we eliminate sugar in products such as cakes or cookies? The solution lies in polyols or sugar alcohols”
treatment can alter the taste of these substances and lose some of their sweetening power.
It
could be a solution for certain fillings that do not undergo heat treatment, although it may affect their rheology and shelf life. In many countries, these sweeteners are not authorised for baked products. This is not because they are harmful but because they are not considered a suitable solution for any development of this type, and while they are not expressly prohibited, they are not on positive lists.
Mixtures of saccharin and cyclamate are among the most used intensive sweeteners since the combination enhances the sweetening power of both. In addition, saccharin provides sweetness more quickly, while cyclamate extends the sensation of sweetness. However, saccharin leaves a bitter aftertaste perceived by some people. Aspartame has better organoleptic quality, but it is not tolerated by people with phenylketonuria and does not withstand heat treatments well. But due to its better organoleptic quality and its
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ability to enhance certain flavours of acidic fruits, it has replaced saccharin/cyclamate in some applications. Acesulfame-K is also interesting as it does not present strange aftertastes and is quite stable, but its sweetness, like saccharin, is perceived quickly but is also not perceived as long as in other sweeteners. Other sweeteners such as Thaumatin or Neohesperidin can also be interesting. But in all cases, in addition to their organoleptic characteristics, factors such as price or current legislation need to be considered. So, if intensive sweeteners are not the solution, how can we eliminate sugar in products such as cakes or cookies? The solution lies in polyols or sugar alcohols. These substances have a structure intermediate between sugars and alcohols and are usually industrially obtained from sugars, although they are also present in nature. The main advantage of polyols is that they perform the structural function of sugars in products such as cakes and cookies and have good sweetening power in most cases. The main problem with these ingredients is that they can have a laxative effect, which must be indicated on the label. These products are also not well tolerated by people with irritable bowel syndrome. On the other hand, they do not participate in Maillard reactions, nor do they caramelize like sugars, so the final colour of the products may be slightly lighter. And unlike intensive sweeteners, which, when used in very low amounts, barely provide calories, most polyols provide around 2.4 Kcal/g.
Polyols Maltitol is a well-used polyol when it comes to replacing sugar in products like cookies or cakes. This is due to its low cost and the ability to substitute sugar in the same proportion, as it has a high sweetening power (around 80% of sucrose). The results of this substitution are very good, and some consumers don’t notice the difference. Xylitol also a good choice for replacing sucrose in certain products since its sweetening power is similar to sucrose, and it has a slight refreshing effect when dissolved. Although it should be noted that its effect is not as noticeable in baked products where it has been dissolved as in other products. However, the significant drawback of this sweetener is its high cost, at least when
compared to other alternatives like maltitol. Another interesting alternative is erythritol. This polyol has a slightly lower sweetening power than maltitol and is also somewhat less soluble, making it not the best organoleptic option. However, unlike most polyols, it contributes minimal calories. Therefore, if one of the goals of eliminating sugar is to reduce the final product’s calorie content, it can be an interesting option. Sorbitol has a lower sweetening power than maltitol and is not the best choice, although it is used in some cake-like products as a humectant due to its high hygroscopic power, not as a sugar substitute, or at least not to eliminate it completely.
A last polyol that may be interesting for some applications is isomaltose. This does not have a high sweetening power (50-60% of sucrose) but unlike other polyols it has very low hygroscopicity. This makes it well suited for use in products like candies that need to avoid quickly softening by absorbing water. But also, for cookies, preventing them from absorbing water and becoming soft. Due to its low sweetening power, it is usually used in combination with other polyols like maltitol. Similar to polyols, there are other substances that can play the structural role of sucrose in certain preparations. Among them, some fibres stand out, such as polydextrose or oligofructose (a smaller version than inulin). The main problem with these products when they aim to replace sucrose is that they have minimal sweetening power, so one of the most important functionalities is not achieved, and the final products end up with a taste that is not well appreciated by consumers. Their use can be studied in combination with polyols but never as the sole substitute. It’s also important to consider that in some cases, they may undergo partial hydrolysis, generating very dark colours on the surface of the products. On the positive side, they often have a well-studied prebiotic function, especially in the case of oligofructose.
Manuel Gómez Pallarés is a professor at E.T.S. Ingenierías Agrarias de Palencia (University of Valladolid) and a member of the Innograin research group and blog.
Kennedy’s Bakery Production June/July 2024 33
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