Modern people love sugar but don't want to absorb high calories. Studies have also shown that eating sugar can promote the secretion of dopamine in the brain and make people feel happy. Therefore, "sugar-free", "sugar substitute", and "0 calories" have become popular in food shopping. The sugar substitute not only has a sweet taste comparable to that of sucrose, but also has very low calories. It not only satisfies the appetite, but also can hardly be absorbed. Then who will be the "son of tomorrow" in the sugar reduction world? Will it be tagatose that has been discovered early, has multiple functions, but has always been expensive to produce?

Tagatose is a new type of low-calorie sweetener with similar sweetness, texture and appearance to sucrose. It is also an "Epimer" of fructose, and only a small amount is present in fruits, cocoa and dairy products.

The Functions of Tagatose

1. Low energy: Tagatose has a sweet taste similar to that of sucrose, but it has very low calories. Tagatose taken by the body cannot be completely absorbed by the small intestine. Studies have found that long-term treatment of diabetes with D-tagatose can gradually reduce the weight of the subjects and reduce food intake at the same time.

2. Lowering blood sugar: Tagatose cannot be completely absorbed, so it has little effect on blood sugar and insulin levels. Studies have found that for healthy people and diabetes type II patients, the intake of tagatose will not cause significant changes in blood sugar and insulin levels, and can significantly inhibit the increase in blood sugar caused by glucose intake in diabetic patients.

3. Improve the intestinal flora: About 80% of the tagatose taken by the body cannot be absorbed by the small intestine. This part of the tagatose that is not absorbed can be fermented and utilized by the microbial flora in the body to promote the production of butyrate and lactic acid bacteria in the intestinal tract.

4. Non-cariogenic: Studies have found that tagatose cannot be used by microorganisms in the oral cavity and will not reduce the PH value of dental plaque, so it will not cause dental caries.

Applications of Tagatose in Food

1. Healthy beverages: In the beverage industry, the synergistic effect of D-tagatose on powerful sweeteners such as sodium cyclamate, aspartame, acesulfame K, and stevioside is mainly used to eliminate the metallic taste, bitterness and astringency produced by the strong sweetener, and improves the taste of the beverage.

2. Dairy products: As a low-calorie sweetener, adding a small amount of D-tagatose can significantly improve the taste of dairy products. Therefore, D- can be added to dairy products such as sterilized powdered milk, cheese, yogurt, etc. Tagatose, in addition, it can also be used in yogurt to increase the number of viable bacteria in the yogurt while providing sweetness, improve the nutritional value of the yogurt, and make the flavor more rich and mellow.

3. Cereal products: D-tagatose is easy to caramelize at low temperature, making it easier to produce ideal color and more mellow flavor than sucrose, and can be used in baked foods. Studies have found that D-tagatose can undergo Maillard reaction with amino acids, which produces more volatile flavor substances than reducing sugars such as glucose and galactose. In addition, because D-tagatose has low viscosity and is easy to crystallize, it can also be used for frosting food.

4. Candy: D-tagatose can be used as the only sweetener in chocolate, and the process does not need to be changed much. The viscosity and endothermic characteristics of chocolate are similar to those when sucrose is added.

5. Low candy candied fruit: Low-candy candied fruits are candied fruits with a sugar content of less than 50%. Because D-tagatose has the characteristics of very low calorie content and high sweetness, it can be used as a sweetener in the production of low candy shops.

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