Crystalline Fructose, the crystalline form of fructose, a food additive made from corn or sugar (sugar cane), is commonly used as a nutritive sweetener in foods and beverages. Due to its high sweetness among natural sugars, low Glycemic index and low calories, crystalline fructose is used commonly in health food.
Crystalline fructose can be produced from sucrose (sugar cane) or corn starch (or high fructose corn syrup). In both processes, fructose is finally crystallized with extremely high purity and milled into the desired mesh size.
Pure crystalline fructose has been used as a nutritive sweetener in foods and beverages. Also, it can be used as a humectant in cosmetics.
Food
From the FDA’s information, crystalline fructose is used as a flavor enhancer, flavoring agent or adjuvant, formulation aid, nutritive sweetener, processing aid, solvent or vehicle, stabilizer or thickener and texturizer in food.
Bakery
Crystalline fructose has good hygroscopicity and can be used in the processing of foods that need to be moisturized, such as bread and cakes.
It retains water in bakery products and so prolongs the shelf life.
In the bakery, it can also partially replace sucrose to accelerate Maillard reactions which are the chemical reactions between amino acids and reducing sugars. It produces an attractive brown color and aroma after baking.
Beverage
Crystalline fructose is a table sugar substitute as it improves and/or maintains flavor and has a low glycaemic index in beverage. The application such as in dry mix beverages, enhanced or flavored vitamin water, carbonated beverages, sports and energy drinks and etc.
Diabetic Food
It is suitable for diabetics as its low glycemic response.
Others
Due to its sweetness, flavor enhancement and water retention properties, crystalline fructose can replace sorbitol and glycerol in foods, and it can improve the taste. It can also be used in cereal bars, frozen foods, low-calorie products, chocolate milk, yogurt, ice-cream and confectionery.
Cosmetics
Per the “European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients”, it functions as a humectant agent in cosmetic and personal care products.
