Why use polyols?
Polyols provide a significant proportion of the sweetness of sugar, whilst also offering a valuable calorie reduction. Two notable effective options are:
• Xylitol – the same sweetness as pure sucrose, but with 40% fewer
calories at 2.4kcal/g, as compared to 4kcal/g for sugar.
• Erythritol – approximately 60-70% of the sweetness of pure sucrose,
with 100% fewer calories. Erythritol contains so little useable energy
content that, under current UK/EU labelling regulations, it is
considered to be zero-calorie.
Restrictions on Use
Polyols have been used in food products for many years, and are widely utilised and accepted in some product categories already
– for example sugar-free sweets, and chewing gums.
– for example sugar-free sweets, and chewing gums.
Polyols have been used in food products for many years, and are widely utilised and accepted in some product categories already – for example sugar-free sweets, and chewing gums. They’re so effective in the latter that there are
approved health claims for their use, primarily related to improved dental hygiene. There has been limited use in cakes and baked goods to date, largely due to technological challenges with texture changes, all of which are overcome thanks to the unique formulation and process used to make SweetAble.
As with many types of additive, there are specific conditions that must be met in order to be able to use polyols in food products. In the categories for which
SweetAble is most useful, these conditions generally permit use on a quantum satis basis (i.e., no maximum limit, but must not exceed the level required to perform the intended function), and only in ‘energy reduced’ and ‘no added
sugar’ products. We envisage the former to be the more significant for applications of SweetAble, and this requires that the finished product complies with the ‘Energy-reduced’ claim type as defined in the Annex to Regulation (EC) 1924/2006, i.e., a 30% reduction in calories as compared to the full
sugar/fat original recipe. This is an area where SweetAble excels – please visit the recipe page for a small selection of examples illustrating products with at least 30% calorie reductions (along with significant sugar, fat, and saturated fat reductions), all of which are benchmarked against their full-sugar/fat equivalents on appearance, texture, and flavour.
In the US, the polyols used in all current formulations have been issued or accepted as having GRAS (Generally Recognised as Safe) status.
Labelling
As SweetAble’s unique attributes are the result of a patent-protected
manufacturing process rather than a complex formulation, the on-pack
declaration is generally relatively short and simple – typically just one or more
vegetables, one or more polyols, and water in some of the formulation types. There are a large number of different variations, each of which is adjusted to
suit specific application requirements, and the particularly labelling declaration
will vary between each of these. We therefore advise this is discussed on a case-by-case basis.
Foods containing more than 10% added polyols typically also require additional labelling particulars in accordance with Annex III of Regulation (EU) 1169/2011,
and this will need to be determined by the user for their specific application(s). Nonetheless it should be noted that many types of product can use SweetAble
to achieve 30% calorie reduction along with large sugar and fat reductions,
without exceeding this 10% polyol threshold. The recipes section of the website contains some illustrative examples.
Natural status
As there is no harmonised regulatory definition of natural in the UK and EU, other than the regulations specifically relating to flavours, the question of whether SweetAble can be labelled as ‘natural’ is something that needs to be considered individually depending on the user’s target market. For the UK, there is a guidance document from the FSA, giving a fairly narrow and specific outline of what in their view accords with the consumer expectations of the term ‘natural’.
Two far simpler questions, but equally relevant in terms of the technical aspects of labelling/marketing:
1. Is SweetAble an artificial sweetener, or does it contain artificial sweeteners?
No, and no.
2. Are all of the components of SweetAble made from natural raw
materials?
A definitive yes.
The vegetable components are used whole, and there are no selective extraction processes or similar, so for example a carrot-based SweetAble
is made from whole carrots with nothing removed.
Whilst polyols exist in nature in various plants – for example, raspberries and strawberries contain xylitol – most sources contain relatively low levels, such that it would be very wasteful and highly inefficient to extract it from them. We therefore use polyols that are made by processing natural raw materials such as surplus corn cobs or wood pulp left over from
paper-making processes
What’s the secret
of SweetAble’s
functionality?
I (Ben) can’t tell you that, as it’ll upset Steve, and we don’t want to upset him as he makes large quantities of very tasty cakes…
Also there is a patent.
Useful links & further reading
– general information on polyols
DG Sante (EU) Additives Database – outlining authorisations for all current approved additives across all food categories:
https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/foods_system/main/
European Association of Polyol Producers (EPA) Website – general information on polyols: http://polyols-eu.org/
Polyols.org – general information on polyols, from the Calorie Control Council: https://polyols.org/
Livesey G. Health potential of polyols as sugar replacers, with emphasis on low glycaemic properties. Nutr Res Rev. 2003 Dec;16(2):163-91. doi: 10.1079/NRR200371. PMID: 19087388.
Miller PE, Perez V. Low-calorie sweeteners and body weight and composition: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and prospective cohort studies. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014 Sep;100(3):765-77. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.113.082826. Epub 2014 Jun 18. PMID: 24944060; PMCID: PMC4135487.
Fitch C, Keim KS; Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: use of nutritive and nonnutritive sweeteners. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2012 May;112(5):739-58. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2012.03.009. Epub 2012 Apr 25. Erratum in: J Acad Nutr Diet. 2012 Aug;112(8):1279. PMID: 22709780.
Tamura M, Hoshi C, Hori S. Xylitol affects the intestinal microbiota and metabolism of daidzein in adult male mice. Int J Mol Sci. 2013 Dec 10;14(12):23993-4007. doi: 10.3390/ijms141223993. PMID: 24336061; PMCID: PMC3876090.
Mattila PT, Knuuttila ML, Svanberg MJ. Dietary xylitol supplementation prevents osteoporotic changes in streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Metabolism. 1998 May;47(5):578-83. doi: 10.1016/s0026-0495(98)90243-8. PMID: 9591750.
Mattila PT, Svanberg MJ, Knuuttila ML. Increased bone volume and bone mineral content in xylitol-fed aged rats. Gerontology. 2001 Nov-Dec;47(6):300-5. doi: 10.1159/000052818. PMID: 11721142.
Mattila PT, Pelkonen P, Knuuttila ML. Effects of a long-term dietary xylitol supplementation on collagen content and fluorescence of the skin in aged rats. Gerontology. 2005 May-Jun;51(3):166-9. doi: 10.1159/000083988. PMID: 15832042.
Knuuttila ML, Kuoksa TH, Svanberg MJ, Mattila PT, Karjalainen KM, Kolehmainen E. Effects of dietary xylitol on collagen content and glycosylation in healthy and diabetic rats. Life Sci. 2000 Jun 8;67(3):283-90. doi: 10.1016/s0024-3205(00)00621-4. PMID: 10983872.
Noda K, Nakayama K, Oku T. Serum glucose and insulin levels and erythritol balance after oral administration of erythritol in healthy subjects. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1994 Apr;48(4):286-92. PMID: 8039489.
den Hartog GJ, Boots AW, Adam-Perrot A, Brouns F, Verkooijen IW, Weseler AR, Haenen GR, Bast A. Erythritol is a sweet antioxidant. Nutrition. 2010 Apr;26(4):449-58. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2009.05.004. Epub 2009 Jul 24. PMID: 19632091.
Flint N, Hamburg NM, Holbrook M, Dorsey PG, LeLeiko RM, Berger A, de Cock P, Bosscher D, Vita JA. Effects of erythritol on endothelial function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a pilot study. Acta Diabetol. 2014;51(3):513-6. doi: 10.1007/s00592-013-0534-2. Epub 2013 Dec 24. PMID: 24366423; PMCID: PMC4037362.
Pham H, Phillips LK, Jones KL. Acute Effects of Nutritive and Non-Nutritive Sweeteners on Postprandial Blood Pressure. Nutrients. 2019 Jul 25;11(8):1717. doi: 10.3390/nu11081717. PMID: 31349678; PMCID: PMC6722982.
“The coronavirus pandemic – and the higher mortality rate among overweight individuals. Has spurred European regulators into action, prompting the likes of the UK and Germany to take a tougher stance in the war against our growing waistlines.”