| Disease | A REVIEW WITH 28 REFS. A NEW FOOD INGREDIENT, ERYTHRITOL, IS DEVELOPED IN RESPONSE TO AN INCREASING DEMAND FROM CONSUMERS FOR HEALTHIER AND CALORIE CONTROLLED FOODS. ERYTHRITOL CAN BE PRODUCED FROM STARCH BY FULL BIOTECHNOL PROCESS, COMBINING
ENZYMIC AND FERMENTATIVE CONVERSIONS. THE USE OF AN OSMOPHILIC YEAST ALLOWS THE FERMO STEP TO BE PERFOMED AT HIGH DRY SUBSTANCE, GIVING AN ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE. AN EXTREMELY PURE AND PRODUCT IS THEN EASILY OBTAINED BY FINAL CRYSTN. ERYTHRITOL
IS STRUCTURALLY A POLYOL AND SHARES THE HELATH PROPERTIES OF OTHER POLYOLS SUCH AS BEING TOOTH-FRIENDLY AND SAFE FOR DIABETICS. HOWEVER, IT OFFERS IN ADDN. 2 VERY IMPORTANT NUTRITIONAL ADVANTAGES: A LOWER CALORIFIC VALUE (O.3) KCAL/G) AND
A GOOD TOLERANCE. THIS IS DUE TO ITS LOW MOL WT. WHICH ALLOWS ERYTHRITOL TO BE RAPIDLY ABSORBED FROM THE SMALL INTESTINE, WITH SUBSEQUENT EXCRETION IN THE URINE. FERMENTATION IN THE COLON IS THEREFORE EXCLUDED AND ANY RESULTING GASTRIONTESTINAL
DISCOMFORT AVOIDED. THE COMBINATION OF THESE PROPERTIES MAKES ARYTHRITOL A NIQUE LOW-CALARIE BULK SWEETENER. FUCTIONALLY, ERYTHRITOL IS A MODERATELY SWEET BULKING AGENG WITH COOLING TASTE; WORKABILITY IS SIMILAR TO THAT OF OTHER POLYOLS.
IT HAS A TASTE PROFILE CLOSE TO THAT OF SUCROSE AND MAY THEREFORE IMPROVE THE TASTE QUALITY OF A BLEND WITH INTENSE SWEETENERS. ITS LOW SOLY. AND EASE OF CRYSTN. MAKE ERYTHRITOL VERY SUITABLE FOR APPLICATIONS WHICH REQUIRE A CRYST. SWEETENER,
SUCH AS CHOCOLATE. OTHER POTENTIAL APPLICATION AREAS ARE BAKED GOODS, POWD. SUGAR SUBSTITUTE, AND CONFECTIONARY. POTENTIAL NONFOOD APPLICATION OF ERYTHRITOL ARE IN POLYMERS, FINE CHEMS, AND PHARMACEUTICAL INTERMEDIATES. |