Made from sucrose by a process of enzymatic rearrangement, isolmaltulose is a disaccharide-type carbohydrate that can be chemically described as sugar but it does not promote tooth decay and is low glycaemic. It can be used to replace sucrose, but also finds use in products for other reasons, such as sports nutrition for prolonged energy release, and healthy tooth chocolate.
The new standard is included in the Food Chemicals Codex (FCC), a reference book of analytical methods and specifications published by the US Pharmacopeia (USP) in the US and used worldwide. USP acquired the FCC from the Institute of Medicine in 2006.
The FCC, which is available as a print version and online and contains around 1100 monographs in total, is said to play “a key role in safeguarding commerce and public health”.
Anke Sentko, VP regulatory affairs and nutrition communication at Beneo, which contributed to the development of the isolmaltulose monograph, told FoodNavigator.com it is important to have agreed guidance for industry, analytical experts, food control authorities and health authorities all over the works, to see how an ingredient is characterised and analysed from a chemical point of view.
“You don’t have the trouble of having to agree the method any time you want to analyse and ingredient or ascertain how much is in a product. For example, if you want to analyse a white powder, it gives guidance on how to analyse it to check it is what you say it is.”
Not only does such as standard make it easier to agree on analytical methods, but Sentko said it “also makes international trade easier, as it can be looked up and used worldwide, and is not a house or internal method.”
Beneo will now be able to market its isomaltulose, sold under the Palatinose brand, as ‘FCC grade’; but Sentko said there is not a problem with sub-standard isomaltulose ont the market.
While Beneo’s involvement was with an eye on competitive advantage, the process of coming up with it was the monograph was open to all players and there was a public consultation.
Other suppliers in the isomaltulose market include Cargill and Gadot.
There is a printed and an online version. More details are available at http://www.usp.org/fcc/