Sweeteners are food additives that impart sweetness to soft drinks. Sweeteners can be divided into nutritive sweeteners and non-nutritive sweeteners according to their nutritional value; according to their sweetness, they can be divided into low-sweetness sweeteners and high-sweetness sweeteners; Divided into natural sweeteners and synthetic sweeteners.
The main functions of sweeteners in food are as follows:
1）Taste: Sweetness is one of the indicators of many foods. In order to make food and beverages taste palatable, a certain amount of sweetener needs to be added.
2）For the adjustment and enhancement of flavor, sweetness is generally required in cakes; in beverages, there is a "sugar-acid ratio" for flavor adjustment. Sweeteners allow products to achieve good flavor while retaining fresh flavor.
3)The formation of flavor, sweetness and the flavor of many foods are complementary to each other, and the flavor of many products is produced by the combination of flavor substances and sweeteners, so many foods are added with sweeteners.
There are many types of sweeteners, which can be divided into: according to their sources, they can be divided into natural sweeteners and artificial sweeteners; according to their nutritional value, they can be divided into nutritive sweeteners and non-nutritive sweeteners; according to their chemical Structure and properties are divided into sugar and non-saccharide sweeteners.
Although sugars such as glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, starch sugar and lactose are also natural sweeteners, they are often regarded as food raw materials because they have been eaten by humans for a long time and are important nutrients, and are not used as food additives in China.
Non-sugar sweeteners include natural sweeteners and artificial sweeteners. Natural sweeteners include stevia, licorice, disodium glycyrrhizinate, tripotassium glycyrrhizinate and trisodium glycyrrhizinate. Synthetic sweeteners include saccharin, sodium saccharin, sodium cyclamate, aspartame, alitame, and the like.
Naringin dihydrochalcone (NADC) is a new type of sweetener. Compared with sucrose, it has the characteristics of high sweetness, low calorific value, non-toxicity and safety. It can be used in food, medicine and daily chemical industry. But without the debittering properties of NHDC.
The taste is refreshing, the aftertaste is long-lasting, and it has a special fragrance, which has a good effect of shielding bitterness, especially suitable for dairy products, fats and oils, and frozen foods.
In processed vegetables, jellies, jams, non-alcoholic beverages, chewing gum, toothpaste and buccal tablets. As a substitute for sugar, it can also reduce the intake of sugar in the human body, and is suitable for obese patients and diabetics.
