Production of sweeteners

Developments in the production of sweeteners have been closely related to some relevant events in the fields of biotechnology and chemistry (Ferrier, 2006). The consumption of sweeteners also keeps on increasing alongside with the level of development of countries, as a result of changes in dietary patterns (Ruprecht, 2005). Sweetening agents find application in the food industry for the production of a large number of food products (viz., soft drinks, juices, pastry, chewing gums). They are also used in the pharmaceutical industry in the formulation of both liquid and solid preparations, in order to mask the taste of drugs, give consistency to liquid preparations, and coat pills (Priya et al., 2011). The ideal sweetener has to comply simultaneously with a set of requirements: (1) be highly effective in minimal concentrations; (2) be stable at a wide range of temperatures to which the formulations are exposed; (3) prolonged use must not convey deleterious effect on health; (4) present a low, if any, calorific value; and (5) production should be easy, reproducible, and have a low cost (Priya et al., 2011). A single sweetener hardly meets all these requirements. The alternative relies on making available a wide array of sweeteners, so that the requirements for the different roles may be fulfilled. The currently available sweeteners are either natural or synthetic, have a saccharide or nonsaccharide nature, and some display high-intensity qualities (e.g., requiring minimal amounts to produce the required sweetening role). An overview of the schematic division of these sweeteners is depicted in Figure 11.1.