The application relates to compositions based on maple sap, fruit juice and/or vegetable juice having a high added value. In particular, said compositions have high concentrations in polyphenols, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and potassium, for example. These concentrations are higher than those in maple sap made by previous traditional or commercial processes and higher than those in fruit or vegetable juices or syrups. Furthermore, said compositions have an antioxidant effect that is also higher than that in commercial maple sap made on an industrial or small scale and higher than that in commercial fruit or vegetable juices or syrups. The application also relates to processes for making such compositions.

A method of production of a homogeneous powdered product from a starting product in a liquid state, the starting product having sugars as at least 60% of its total solids, the method comprising: in the absence of air; pressurizing the starting product to a pressure greater than 1 bar; injecting a gas into the starting product to form a mixture in which the starting product is substantially saturated by the gas; and degassing the mixture into a continuous stream of transport gas such that, on contact with the transport gas, water from the mixture evaporates to leave the homogeneous powdered product.

The present invention relates to amorphous porous particles comprising sugar, a bulking agent and surfactant, having a closed porosity of between 20 to 60%. Further aspects of the invention relate to a food product comprising the amorphous porous particles; a process of making the amorphous porous particles and a fat based confectionery product containing them; and the use of the amorphous porous particles as bulk sugar replacers in food products such as fat based confectionery products for example, chocolate.

A method of making a flavoured sweetener or food product by incubating an unrefined plant extract containing sucrose as the main solute with a microorganism or microorganisms to form a modified unrefined plant extract; evaporating water from the modified sucrose-based plant extract to form a concentrate; and cooking the concentrate to develop colour and flavour to produce the flavoured sweetener is disclosed. The flavoured sweetener can serve as a coconut sugar substitute. In a preferred embodiment the unrefined plant extract comprises sugarcane juice or sugar beet juice, and the microorganisms may be selected from Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus flexus, or a Klyveromyces species. The flavoured sweetener can be used to make a range of food and beverage ingredients and also food products including sauces, natural flavour extracts and flavour molecules, chocolate, health foods and convenience forms of the various forms of flavoured sweeteners.

Disclosed is pearl sugar, having a biggest dimension between 5.6 and 8.0 mm, and a dissolution time at 20° C. lying between 3 minutes and 8 minutes, or a biggest dimension of smaller than 5.6, and a dissolution time at 20° C. lying between 1 minute and 3 minutes and 30 seconds. The invention further relates to a process for the preparation of pearl sugar, using a sugar-containing raw material which is brought to a moisture content lying between 0.5 and 4.0 wt. %, an average size of between 0.40 and 1.20 mm, and whereby at most 2 wt. % of particles have a size of at most 0.20 mm.

An improved process for extracting biological material from sugar-bearing plant material. In particular, the sugar-bearing plant material is treated with an extractant solution comprising water and a functionalized amphiphilic polymer, wherein the biological material is extracted from the sugar-bearing plant material. In addition, a method for producing ethanol from a sugar-bearing plant material is provided.

An improved process for extracting biological material from sugar-bearing plant material. In particular, the sugar-bearing plant material is treated with an extractant solution comprising water and a functionalized amphiphilic polymer, wherein the biological material is extracted from the sugar-bearing plant material. In addition, a method for producing ethanol from a sugar-bearing plant material is provided.

The present invention relates to a agave syrup product having a low water content. The agave syrup product retains the physical and palatable properties of untreated agave syrup while having a prolonged shelf-life. It can be advantageously used to sweeten beverages (such as hot beverages) and in the manufacture of pharmaceutical compositions (such as throat lozenges) and/or confectionary.

The present invention relates to a agave syrup product having a low water content. The agave syrup product retains the physical and palatable properties of untreated agave syrup while having a prolonged shelf-life. It can be advantageously used to sweeten beverages (such as hot beverages) and in the manufacture of pharmaceutical compositions (such as throat lozenges) and/or confectionary.

The present invention relates to amorphous porous particles comprising sugar, a bulking 940 agent and surfactant, having a closed porosity of between 20 to 60% a sphericity of at least between 0.8 and 1. In a further aspect the present invention relates to a process of making said amorphous porous particles and their use as bulk sugar replacers in food products such as fat based confectionery products for example, chocolate.