Sweetness Enhancing and Flavoring Benefits August 2011/Prepared Foods -- Sugar is the basis to which all other sweeteners are compared. The general population can detect sweetness in solutions of about 0.5% sugar, said Jack Fastag, flavor chemist, David Michael & Co., in his presentation, “Sweetness Enhancers: Sensing the Sweet Taste of Sugar,” at the 2010 R&D Applications Seminars-East.
In 2003, researchers in the Human Genome project advanced understanding on how sweetness is detected at the molecular level. The mechanics involve gustducin, a “G-protein signaling molecule,” which was identified as being bound to “sweet” genes called Tas1R2 and Tas1R3. When certain compounds bind with T1R2 and T1R3, gustducin is activated, and sweetness is perceived. T1R2 and T1R3 will bind with a large range of substances that then trigger a sweet taste, including sucrose, synthetic sweeteners and certain amino acids, proteins, aldehydes and ketones.
Sucrose contains calories, but no nutritional value (other than energy). It promotes tooth decay, increases blood sugar levels linked to diabetes and elevated triglyceride levels, and contributes to overweight and obesity, said Fastag. Additionally, the desire for sweet taste increases with age. This has driven the demand for sucrose alternatives and, increasingly, natural sucrose replacements. Options today include dried fruit puree, fruit juice, rapadura, maple syrup, maple sugar, honey, stevia, molasses, barley malt extract, wheat syrup, rice syrup, corn syrup, brown sugar and agave nectar.
Natural sweeteners, such as maple syrup, may have flavors associated with them. For example, Grade A Light Amber maple syrup is very light and has a mild, more delicate maple flavor. Grade A Medium Amber is a bit darker and has slightly more maple flavor. Grade A Dark Amber is darker yet, with an even stronger maple flavor. Grade B, sometimes called cooking syrup, is very dark, with a very strong maple flavor, as well as some caramel flavor.
High-intensity sweeteners are many times sweeter than sugar; for example, stevia is approximately 300 times sweeter and aspartame 200 times sweeter. Lugduname is one of the most potent sweetening agents known and is estimated to be between 200,000-300,000 times as sweet as sucrose.
Flavorings (aromatic compounds) can also play a role in sucrose replacement. Some sweeteners have flavor issues, and natural flavors can be used to bring out the best in a sweetener. Sweetness can be enhanced by the presence of a flavoring; for example, a sweet solution tastes sweeter in the presence of vanilla aroma, noted Fastag. “Sweetness enhancers are designed to intensify the perception and potency of traditional sweeteners, such as sugar, fructose and honey. They can complement characterizing flavor notes, increase flavor impact and minimize unwanted aftertaste,” he said.
Experimental design has helped determine that when the perception of sweetness is enhanced, even as sucrose has been reduced or substituted with other compounds, a finished product can be developed that provides sensory acceptance. Additionally, by reducing sugar and using sweetness enhancers, costs can be lowered by 10%. This helps lead to a product’s sustained marketability.
During the 2010 presentation, Fastag warned a sugar shortage may be coming, in that sugar prices were hitting 28-year highs. “With the average American consuming 150lbs of sugar per year, the sugar outlook is not so sweet,” he said. The supply of sugar is tight, due to too little rain in India and too much in Brazil. And, with the proposed soda tax and increased pricing, the solution is sweetness enhancers.
“Sweetness Enhancers: Sensing the Sweet Taste of Sugar,” Jack Fastag, David Michael & Co., 215-632-3100, dmflavor@dmflavors.com, www.dmflavors.com
--Summary by Elizabeth Mannie, Contributing Editor