O’Donnell K., Kearsley M.W. Sweeteners and Sugar Alternatives in Food Technology. Second Edition

John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Oxford, 2012. — 490 p.The use of ingredients to improve the nutritional status of a food product is one of the major driving forces for new product development, and sugar replacement is still seen as an area for development. This book provides a unique reference for food scientists and technologists with information on sugar replacement options to produce foods that not only taste and perform as well as sugar-based products but also offer consumer benefits including calorie reduction, dental health benefits, digestive health benefits and improvements in long-term disease risk through strategies such as dietary glycaemic control. This second edition of Sweeteners and Sugar Alternatives follows the same basic layout as in the successful first edition with many of the same authors contributing to their relevant areas of expertise. New chapters on isomaltulose, trehalose and developments in sweeteners
have been included to reflect changes in the use and understanding of sweeteners and sweet taste. For ease of reference, the book is set out as follows:
Part One: Nutrition and Health Considerations. This part considers the physiological effects and subsequent health benefits of sweeteners and sugar alternatives. Subjects include improved glycaemic control, dental health, digestive health and the role of these products in calorie control and weight management.
Part Two: High-Potency Sweeteners. This part describes the properties and applications of the most commonly used sweeteners. These products are unique in that they provide high sweetness without bulk and without any major impact on calories.
Part Three: Reduced-Calorie Bulk Sweeteners. This part describes both the properties and applications of polyols and includes reference to polyglycitols, hydrogenated glucose syrups containing less than 50% maltitol. Bulk sweeteners provide the physical characteristics of sugar and glucose but with reduced calories and other physiological benefits.
Part Four: Other Sweeteners. This part describes new developments in sweeteners and specifically how they elicit a sweet taste when consumed. Also included are chapters on isomaltulose and trehalose that, although classed as sugars, exhibit many of the properties of the bulk sweeteners.
Part Five: Bulking Agents – Multi-Functional Ingredients. This chapter focuses on the oligoand polysaccharide materials that are most applicable as sugar alternatives and that have sugar-like properties in food applications and, often, prebiotic properties. They allow greater flexibility when replacing sugar in formulations and complement the use of all types of sweeteners in foods.
The summary tables at the end of each chapter and the extensive references are meant to inspire those who wish to learn more.