Title: Alternative Sweeteners

270 Wijers and Sträter
Figure 5 Solubility of isomalt in water compared with sucrose and fructose as a function
of temperature.
The high melting temperature range of isomalt-ST (between 145 and
150°C) demonstrates its high heat resistance (4, 9). Because its chemical structure
is not altered at normal cooking temperatures, isomalt is well suited for cooking,
baking, and extrusion processes. Another important property of isomalt is that it
can easily be ground to obtain 100-µm granules. These granules are needed to
give the right texture for chocolates and chewing gum. Finely ground isomalt
granules can be formed into larger agglomerates that can be used for instant
products and tablets.
The viscosity of aqueous isomalt solutions does not differ significantly from
that of corresponding sucrose solutions in a temperature range between 5 and
90°C (4, 9). No special engineering requirements need to be taken into consideration.
The viscosity of a cooked isomalt mass depends on the shear velocity and
can be higher or lower than a sucrose/corn syrup melt. For hard candy production
for example, the cooked isomalt mass shows a lower viscosity than a sucrose/
corn syrup melt at the same temperature. Isomalt is usually boiled to a higher