Maltitol: Analytical Determination Methods, Applications in the Food Industry, Metabolism and Health Impacts.

Ariana Saraiva,Dele Raheem,Fernando Ramos,Conrado Carrascosa,António Raposo

doi:10.3390/ijerph17145227

Abstract

Bulk sweetener maltitol belongs to the polyols family and there have been several dietary applications in the past few years, during which the food industry has used it in many food products: bakery and dairy products, chocolate, sweets. This review paper addresses and discusses in detail the most relevant aspects concerning the analytical methods employed to determine maltitol’s food safety and industry applications, its metabolism and its impacts on human health. According to our main research outcome, we can assume that maltitol at lower doses poses little risk to humans and is a good alternative to using sucrose. However, it causes diarrhoea and foetus complications at high doses. Regarding its determination, high-performance liquid chromatography proved the primary method in various food matrices. The future role of maltitol in the food industry is likely to become more relevant as processors seek alternative sweeteners in product formulation without compromising health.

Highlights

Maltitol (C12 H24 O11 ; 4-O-α-glucopyranosyl-D-sorbitol) is a hygroscopic non-reducing sugar and disaccharide polyol that is listed as an alternative sweetener to sugar because, except for browning, it possesses roughly 75–90% of sucrose’s sweetness and has similar properties [1]
As very little work on maltitol can be found in the literature, this paper aims to review analytical methods for its determination, its chief food industry and safety applications, and its metabolism and impacts on human health that stem from its utilisation
The results showed that using maltitol and xylitol instead of sucrose can provide low-calorie compound milk chocolate with no undesirable rheological effects on samples

Summary

Introduction

Maltitol (C12 H24 O11 ; 4-O-α-glucopyranosyl-D-sorbitol) is a hygroscopic non-reducing sugar and disaccharide polyol that is listed as an alternative sweetener to sugar because, except for browning, it possesses roughly 75–90% of sucrose’s sweetness and has similar properties [1]. Comparable solubility helps maltitol to dissolve in the mouth in almost exactly the same way as sucrose, leaving the mouth able to feel the expected sweetened taste of a given food product [2]. At about 40 ◦ C, maltitol absorbs ambient moisture even at a relative humidity of 82% and higher, as opposed to 80% for sucrose.

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Conclusion