Global natural sweetener market inventory in 2021--Erythritol

According to data from Innova Market Insights, from July 2016 to June 2021, the Sweetener with the highest compound annual growth rate in the world was Erythritol, reaching 32%, while another popular sweetener, stevioside The compound annual growth rate is 13%. Erythritol has become the most popular sweetener in the world.

Erythritol is currently the only sugar alcohol product on the market that is naturally transformed and extracted by biological fermentation. It is a zero-calorie sweetener, does not participate in human blood sugar metabolism, and has a sweetness similar to sucrose. Compared with synthetic Sweeteners such as Sucralose, erythritol can be classified as a natural sweetener; compared with natural sweeteners such as steviol glycosides, erythritol has a purer taste and no bitterness afterwards. Recognized by consumers.

However, the sweetness of erythritol is only 70% of that of sugar. The amount is large, but the production capacity is seriously insufficient. Therefore, there is a shortage of erythritol supply worldwide. Since the beginning of this year, the market price of erythritol has continued to rise from 16,000 yuan/ton at the beginning of the year, forcing companies to reduce the amount in order to reduce costs. How to reduce the amount of erythritol while maintaining the same taste has become a new issue in the industry.

How to reduce the amount of erythritol?

1) Add fiber

Part of the fiber can not only provide sweetness, but also replicate the function of sugar. It can be used as a flavor enhancer, leavening agent or bulking agent, and it can also increase the effect of promoting intestinal health in the product. The sweetness of naturally occurring inulin is about 10% of that of sucrose. If the inulin chain is shorter, the sweetness will increase. Short-chain inulin can provide 60% of the sweetness level of sucrose. It can partially replace erythritol to provide sweetness and bulk. Another fiber that can be used to reduce the amount of erythritol is gum arabic. Due to its physical and functional properties, it is a good choice to increase the fiber content of food without compromising the appearance or flavor of the food. As a low-viscosity thickener, gum arabic can help compensate for the loss of volume, texture and mouthfeel of reduced sugar products, bring stability by reducing water activity, and improve softness and mouthfeel by increasing water retention capacity.

Batory Foods launched five sweetener blends with erythritol as the main ingredient this year, including B-Tru (erythritol, allulose, stevia extract); B-Intense (erythritol, Allulose, steviol glycosides, stevia extract); B-Faber (erythritol, soluble corn fiber, allulose, stevia extract); B-Clear(E) (erythritol, steviol glycosides) , Stevia extract); B-Clear (A) (allulose, steviol glycosides, stevia extract), helps to simulate the browning, crystallization, freezing point reduction, texture and taste of sucrose, used in B-Clear (A) Best for syrups, dried fruits, and instant coffee and tea; B-Fiber and B-Clear(E) are ideal choices for hard candies; B-Tru, B-Intense and B-Fiber are suitable for dairy products.

2) Add food flavor

Another way to reduce the amount of erythritol is to add natural flavors. Erythritol is generally used together with other high-intensity sweeteners. Its main purpose is to reduce the bad taste of high-intensity sweeteners. Natural flavors can provide aroma and complement the real sucrose flavor that is missing when high-strength sweeteners reduce sugar, speed up the sweetening speed, eliminate sweetness and odors, and create a pleasant overall flavor, even if the amount of erythritol is reduced It can also ensure that the taste remains unchanged. The main components of this type of natural flavor are usually glucosyl steviol glycosides, African arrowroot extract (thomass) and so on.