How Is the Stability of Erythritol During Food Processing?

How Is the Stability of Erythritol During Food Processing?

Erythritol is white crystals or white crystalline powder at room temperature. It is odorless and has a pure sweet taste. Erythritol is highly soluble in water and slightly soluble in ethanol.

The calorific value of erythritol is about 1.25KJ/g, which is about one-tenth of sucrose. Erythritol that enters the blood circulation cannot be metabolized and absorbed, and can only be excreted through the kidneys and urine, and the heat generated is very low.

Erythritol has a significant proliferation effect on bifidobacteria in the intestines, which can increase the production of short-chain fatty acids produced by bifidobacteria metabolism, inhibit the growth of pathogens, and improve human immunity.

Erythritol has good stability during food processing, as shown below:

1. During high-temperature processing: Erythritol can remain stable under high-temperature processing conditions such as baking and frying. Its melting point is 118℃ – 120℃, and it will not easily melt or decompose at general food processing temperatures. For example, when making baked goods such as biscuits and cakes, even if the oven temperature reaches 180℃ – 200℃, erythritol will not undergo significant quality changes due to high temperature, and can better maintain its sweetness characteristics and chemical structure, thereby ensuring the stability of the taste and quality of the food.

2. In acidic and alkaline environments: Erythritol is stable in both acidic and alkaline food processing environments. In foods such as canned fruit and yogurt with strong acidity, and in certain processing processes under alkaline conditions such as noodle making, erythritol is not easily destroyed by acid or alkali, can maintain its sweetness function and chemical properties, and will not produce adverse changes due to acid-base effects, which helps to maintain the flavor and quality of the food.

3. When stored for a long time: Erythritol can also remain stable during the long-term storage of food. It is not as easy to absorb moisture and agglomerate as some other sugars, nor is it easy to react chemically with other ingredients in the food, thus avoiding problems such as discoloration and taste change in the food during storage, which is conducive to extending the shelf life of the food.