SWEETENER

Abstract

A low calorie sweetener composition with sweetness synergy, providing a reduction in off-taste and a desirable temporal profile. The sweetener composition is suitable for use as a substitute for high calorie sugars. The sweetener composition may be used in food and beverage products, pharmaceutical products, nutritional product and cosmetic products.

Claims

1. A sweetener composition comprising allulose and sucralose.

2. The sweetener composition according to claim 1, comprising allulose in an amount of about 45% to about 80% and sucralose in an amount of about 0.02% to about 0.3% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition.

3. The sweetener composition according to claim 1, comprising allulose in an amount of about 55% to about 70% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition.

4. The sweetener composition according to claim 1, comprising allulose in an amount of about 60% to about 63% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition.

5. The sweetener composition according to claim 1, comprising allulose in an amount of about 40% to about 55% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition.

6. The sweetener composition according to claim 1, comprising allulose in an amount of about 42% to about 49% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition.

7. The sweetener composition according to claim 1, comprising allulose in an amount of about 70% to about 80% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition.

8. The sweetener composition according to claim 1, comprising allulose in an amount of about 75% to about 79% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition

9. The sweetener composition according to claim 1, comprising sucralose in an amount of about 0.1% to about 0.25% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition.

10. The sweetener composition according to claim 1, comprising sucralose in an amount of about 0.18% to about 0.22% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition.

11. The sweetener composition according to claim 1, comprising sucralose in an amount of about 0.02% to about 0.1% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition.

12. The sweetener composition according to claim 1, comprising sucralose in an amount of about 0.04% to about 0.08% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition.

13. The sweetener composition according to claim 1, comprising sucralose in an amount of about 0.03% to about 0.07% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition.

14. The sweetener composition according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of a sweet taste improving additive, a bulking agent, a flavoring agent, or a stabilizer.

15. The sweetener composition according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of fructose, sucrose or glucose.

16. A food product comprising the sweetener composition according to claim 1.

17. The food product of claim 16, wherein the sweetener composition is provided as a coating or frosting on the surface of the food product.

18. A beverage product comprising the sweetener composition according to claim 1.

19. A table-top sweetener comprising the sweetener composition according to claim 1.

20. A bulking agent comprising the sweetener composition according to claim 1.

21. A coating agent comprising the sweetener composition according to claim 1.

22. A cosmetic product comprising the sweetener composition according to claim 1.

23. A pharmaceutical product comprising the sweetener composition according to claim 1.

24. A nutritional product comprising the sweetener composition according to claim 1.

25. A sports product comprising the sweetener composition according to claim 1.

26. A method of manufacturing a reduced-calorie product comprising adding the sweetener composition according to claim 1 to a food product, a beverage product, a pharmaceutical product, a nutritional product, a sports product, or a cosmetic product.

27. A method of increasing bulk of a product comprising adding a bulking agent comprising the sweetener composition according to claim 1 to the product.

28. A method of coating a product comprising applying a coating agent comprising the sweetener composition according to claim 1 to the product.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0026] FIG. 1: Graph illustrating the Mean SEV for allulose, fructose, sucralose and a composition comprising allulose, fructose and sucralose.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] The present invention is based on the surprising finding that allulose, fructose and sucralose exhibit sweetness synergy, whereby the blend is sweeter than the expected sweetness based on the sweetness of its components. That is to say, the relative sweetness of the sweetener composition is greater than the sweetness calculated from the individual components of the composition.

[0028] Furthermore, it has been found that this blend of allulose, fructose and sucralose addresses problems associated with the individual components, in particular, with regard to off-flavor and/or undesirable temporal profile. In addition, due to the presence of the zero calorie sweeteners, allulose and sucralose, the sweetener composition is low calorie. Furthermore, as a consequence of the sweetness synergy exhibited by the composition, the amount of the composition required to provide a given level of sweetness is less than would be expected in the absence of synergy, thereby allowing a further reduction in calories. Thus, a sweetener composition according to the present invention provides enhanced sweetness, improves the balance of flavor by reducing off-taste or off-flavor, and provides a more desirable temporal profile, while at the same time allowing a significant reduction in calories compared to a sweet-equivalent amount of a conventional nutritive sweetener.

[0029] Using a sweetener composition according to the present invention allows delivery of an increased sweetness in food or beverage products when compared to the individual components used separately. This enhanced sweetness means that a smaller amount of sweetener can be used in these products, to provide a temporal and taste profile that closely matches that of sucrose.

[0030] In general terms, the present invention relates to a sweetener composition comprising the sweeteners allulose, fructose and sucralose.

[0031] The term allulose as used herein refers to a monosaccharide sugar of the structure shown as a Fischer projection in below Formula I. It is also known as D-psicose:

##STR00001##

[0032] The term fructose as used herein refers to the monosaccharide sugar of the structure shown as a Fischer projection in below Formula II:

##STR00002##

[0033] The term sucralose as used herein refers to sucralose of the structure shown in Formula III:

##STR00003##

[0034] The term temporal profile of a composition, sugar or sweetener, as used herein, is a measure of the perceived sweetness intensity of said composition, sugar or sweetener over time. A desirable or advantageous temporal profile is one wherein sweetness is observed quickly and has a short linger similar to that of sucrose.

[0035] The term sucrose equivalent value or SEV as used herein refers to the sweetness equivalent of a sweetener related to the sweetness of sucrose. For example, a sweetener at an SEV value of 5 would have a sweetness similar to a 5% by weight solution of sucrose.

[0036] The term low calorie as used herein refers to a sweetener having 40 calories or fewer per reference amount customarily consumed (RACC) and per labeled serving.

[0037] All amounts given in % by weight are quoted on a dry solids (ds) basis unless specifically stated otherwise, Thus, where components are provided other than in their pure form, the amount added should be adjusted to provide the required amount on a dry solids basis. For example, where allulose is provided as a syrup, the amount of syrup used should be adjusted to supply the required amount of allulose on a dry solids basis.

[0038] One embodiment of the present invention provides a sweetener composition comprising allulose, fructose and sucralose.

[0039] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the sweetener composition comprises allulose in an amount of about 45% to about 80%, fructose in an amount of about 20% to about 55%, and sucralose in an amount of about 0.02% to about 0.3% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition.

[0040] Preferably, the sweetener composition of the invention comprises allulose in an amount of about 45%, 46%, 47%, 48%, 49%, 50%, 51%, 52%, 53%, 54%, 55%, 56%, 57%, 58%, 59%, 60%, 61%, 62%, 63%, 64%, 65%, 66%, 67%, 68%, 69%, 70%, 71%, 72%, 73%, 74%, 75%, 76%, 77%, 78%, 79% or 80%, fructose in an amount of about 20%, 21%, 22%, 23%, 24%, 25%, 26%, 27%, 28%, 29%, 30%, 31%, 32%, 33%, 34%, 35%, 36%, 37%, 38%, 39%, 40%, 419Ia, 42%, 43%, 44%, 45%, 46%, 47%, 48%, 49%, 50%, 51%, 52%, 53%, 54% or 55%, and sucralose in an amount of about 0.05, 0,06%, 0.07%, 0.08%, 0.09%, 0.10%, 0.11%, 0.12%, 0,13%, 0.14%, 0.15%, 0.16%, 0.17%, 0.18%, 0.19%, 0.20%, 0.21%, 0.22%, 0.23%, 0.24%, 0.25%, 0.26%, 0.27%, 0.28%, 0.29%, or 0.30%, by weight relative to the total weight of the composition.

[0041] It is particularly preferred that the sweetener composition comprises allulose in an amount of about 61.4% (preferably, about 55% to about 70%, or about 60% to about 63%), fructose in an amount of about 38,4% (preferably, about 30% to about 45%, or about 36% to about 40%), and sucralose in an amount of about 0.2% (preferably, about 0.1. % to about 0.25%, or about 0.18% to about 0.22%) by weight relative to the total weight of the composition. In a another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sweetener composition comprises allulose in an amount of about 77.4% (preferably, about 70% to about 80%, or about 75% to about 79%), fructose in an amount of about 22.5% (preferably, about 15% to about 30%, or about 20% to about 24%), and sucralose in an amount of about 0.05% (preferably, about 0.02% to about 0.1%, or about 0.03% to about 0,07%) by weight relative to the total weight of the composition. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the sweetener composition comprises allulose in an amount of about 46.1% (preferably, about 40% to about 55%, or about 42% to about 49%), fructose in an amount of about 53.8% (preferably, about 45% to about 55%, or about 52% to about 55%), and sucralose in an amount of about 0.06% (preferably, about 0.02% to about 0.1%, or about 0.04% to about 0.08%) by weight relative to the total weight of the composition

[0042] In another embodiment of the present invention, two of the components of the sweetener composition, selected from allulose, fructose and sucralose, are present in an amount of about 25% (by percentage of added sweetness in terms of relative sugar equivalent value (SEV)) and the remaining component is present in an amount of about 50% (by percentage of added sweetness in terms of relative sugar equivalent value (SEV)).

[0043] Advantageously, the sweetener composition comprises allulose in an amount of about 25%, fructose in an amount of about 25%, and sucralose in an amount of about 50% (by percentage of added sweetness in terms of relative sugar equivalent value (SEV)). In an alternative embodiment, the sweetener composition comprises allulose in an amount of about 50%, fructose in an amount of about 25% and sucralose in an amount of about 25% (by percentage of added sweetness in terms of relative sugar equivalent value (SEV)). The sweetener may, alternatively, comprise allulose in an amount of about 25%, fructose in an amount of about 50% and sucralose in an amount of about 25% (by percentage of added sweetness in terms of relative sugar equivalent value (SEV)).

[0044] In some embodiments, the sweetener composition may further comprise a sweet taste improving additive, a bulking agent, a flavoring agent, and/or a stabilizer.

[0045] A further aspect of the present invention provides a food product comprising a sweetener composition according to the invention. Non-limiting examples of a food product include a confectionary product, a dessert product such as, yogurt, ice-cream, biscuits, cakes, a cereal product, baked goods, frozen dairy products, meats, dairy products, condiments, snack bars, soups, dressings, mixes, prepared foods, baby foods, diet preparations, syrups, food coatings, dried fruit, sauces, gravies, jams/jellies, and the like, especially those which are reduced sugar or low sugar products. The food product may be an animal feed product. A food product according to the invention may comprise a sweetener composition as a coating or frosting formed on the surface of the product. This coating improves the flavor of the food product as well as its shelf life.

[0046] Another aspect of the invention provides a beverage product comprising a sweetener composition according to the present invention. Non-limiting examples of a beverage product include a carbonated beverage, a non-carbonated beverage, fruit-flavored beverage, fruit-juice, tea, milk, coffee, especially those which are reduced sugar or low sugar products.

[0047] A further aspect of the present invention provides a table-top sweetener comprising a sweetener composition according to the invention.

[0048] Another aspect of the present invention provides a bulking agent comprising a sweetener composition according to the invention.

[0049] Another aspect of the present invention provides a coating agent comprising a sweetener composition according to the invention.

[0050] Another aspect of the present invention provides a pharmaceutical product comprising a sweetener composition according to the invention.

[0051] Another aspect of the present invention provides a nutritional or sports product comprising a sweetener composition according to the invention.

[0052] Another aspect of the present invention provides a cosmetic product comprising a sweetener composition according to the invention.

[0053] It will be appreciated that the amount of a sweetener composition according to the invention present in a food product, a beverage product, a pharmaceutical product, a nutritional product, a sports product, or a cosmetic product, will depend upon the type and amount of sweetener present in the sweetener composition and the desired sweetness of the food or beverage product.

[0054] An alternative aspect of the present invention provides the use of a sweetener composition according to the invention in a food product, a beverage product, a pharmaceutical product, a nutritional product, a sports product, or a cosmetic product, as a bulking agent or as a coating agent.

[0055] The sweetener composition may be formulated in any ingestible form, for example, as a syrup, in powder form, tablet form, as granules, in a solution or in any other suitable form including beverages and food products.

[0056] As outlined in the below example, a sweetener composition according to the present invention exhibits an unexpected sucrose equivalent value (SEV) greater than the predicted value based on its individual components. Therefore, a sweetener composition according to the present invention displays sweetness synergy.

[0057] The following example is exemplary only and is not intended to be limiting in any way.

EXAMPLE

[0058] Demonstration of Sweetness Synergy of the Composition of the Present Invention

[0059] Materials and Methods

[0060] Round table evaluations were performed with test panelists. Equal sweet 10 SEV concentrations in neutral pH water were made for allulose, fructose and sucralose, as well as a composition comprising allulose, fructose and sucralose. The components of the test compositions are described in the below tables. The mixed compositions were calculated using the Beidler mixture equation for the sweeteners. The Beidler mixture equation for sweeteners is as follows:

[00001]$\mathrm{SEV}=\frac{\mathrm{conc}.Math.R_{\max }}{\mathrm{conc}+1/K}$

[0061] The concentration of each component in the mixture in ppm is divided by SEV (c/R) and is plotted against concentration, c. The slope of the linear regression is the maximum SEV (R.sub.max). The y-intercept of the linear regression multiplied by R.sub.max is the half-maximal sweetness concentration, 1/K. R.sub.max and 1/K are the two parameters used in the Beidler equation.

[0062] The equal-molar mixture was tested against reference samples for the panelists to determine SEV values. References samples were 4%, 6%, 8%, 10%, 12%, and 14% sucrose in neutral pH water. The test samples were served in 2 ounce (approximately 60 ml) souffl cups coded with 3-digit codes at room temperature. A two minute wait period between samples was enforced. Water and unsalted crackers was available for the panelists to clear their palates before and during testing. EyeQuestion, software distributed by Logic8 BV of Elst, The Netherlands, was used for ballot development and recording of results. Results were collected in EyeQuestion for calculating approximate SEV level of each test sample. The test products analyzed in this experiment are described below in Table 1.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Product information Allulose Allulose Sucralose Sucralose Fructose Fructose Allulose/Fructose Allulose/Fructose 10% 10% SEV 10 SEV 10 SEV 10 SEV 10 Sucralose Sucralose INGREDIENT % GRAMS % GRAMS % GRAMS % GRAMS Allulose 89% 17.02 40.848 0 0 0 0 5.6733 13.616 DS syrup Sucralose 0 0 0.0237 0.05688 0 0 0.0079 0.01896 Fructose 0 0 0 0 8.55 20.52 2.85 6.84 RO Water 82.98 199.152 99.9763 240 91.45 219.48 91.468 219.525 TOTAL 100 240 100 240 100 240 100 240

[0063] Results

[0064] FIG. 1 illustrates the mean sucrose equivalent values for the sweetener composition of the present invention as well as the SEV for each of the individual components of the sweetener composition.

[0065] Table 2 recites the mean and median sucrose equivalent values (SEV) for the sweetener composition of the present invention as well as the SEV for each of the individual components of the sweetener composition.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Mean 1 StDev Median 1 1 STDEV Fructose 10.14286 1.214986 10 0.607493 Sucralose 9.285714 1.112697 10 0.556349 Allulose 10.14286 1.46385 10 0.731925 Allulose/ 11.28571 1.253566 11 0.626783 Fructose/ Sucralose Allulose/ Sucralose/ Allulose(A) Sucralose(C) Fructose(D) Fructose(G) Sweetness 10.14 9.29 10.14 11.29.sup.b-c Level of Significance (Duncan): A <99.9%; A <99,%; a <95%; a <90% The ANOVA performed is a two-way ANOVA Sweetness 10.14.sup.b-c 9.29.sup.c 10.14.sup.b-c 11.29.sup.a-b Level of significance for the grouping (Duncan): 5%

[0066] The sweetener composition comprising allulose, fructose and sucralose was significantly sweeter than Sucralose at a 95% CI, and significantly sweeter than allulose and Fructose components at a 90% CI. Therefore, a composition according to the present invention surprisingly exhibits a sweetness greater than the predicted sweetness based on its individual components.

[0067] Conclusibn

[0068] The sweetener composition of the present invention exhibits a statistically significant sweetness synergy.

[0069] Although the invention is illustrated and described herein with reference to specific embodiments, the invention is not intended to be limited to the details shown. Rather, various modifications may be made in the details within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims and without departing from the invention.