The main functions of sweeteners in foods are as follows
(1) Taste: Sweetness is one of the indicators of many foods. To make foods and beverages palatable, a certain amount of sweetener needs to be added.
(2) The regulation and enhancement of flavor generally require sweetness in pastries; In beverages, there is a "sugar acid ratio" item for flavor adjustment. Sweeteners can give the product a good flavor while retaining a fresh taste.
(3) The formation of flavor, sweetness, and the flavor of many foods complement each other. The flavor of many products is produced by the combination of flavoring substances and sweeteners, so many foods are added with sweeteners.
There are many types of sweeteners, which can be divided into: natural sweeteners and artificial sweeteners according to their sources; According to their nutritional value, they are divided into nutritional sweeteners and non nutritional sweeteners; According to their chemical structure and properties, they are divided into sugar and non sugar sweeteners.
Sugar substances such as glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, starch sugar, and lactose, although also natural sweeteners, are often considered as food raw materials and are not used as food additives in China due to their long-term consumption and important nutrients.
Non sugar sweeteners include natural sweeteners and synthetic sweeteners. Natural sweeteners include stevia, licorice, disodium glycyrrhizinate, tripootassium glycyrrhizinate, and trisodium. Artificial sweeteners include saccharin, sodium saccharin, sodium cyclohexylaminosulfonate, aspartate phenylalanine methyl ester, alitame, and so on.