Title: Alternative Sweeteners

278 Wijers and Sträter
energy in chocolate is fat and not sugar, a combination of isomalt and fat substitutes
and/or bulking agents is recommended to further lower the calorie content
of chocolate (30, 31, 35–37).
G. Baked Products
Isomalt is a useful ingredient in the formulation of ‘‘light’’ or sugar-free baked
goods (38–41). The low solubility of isomalt, its low hygroscopicity, and its
browning reaction have to be considered during formulation development. Only
minimal modifications in formulations and processing methods are required for
baked goods made with isomalt. The final baked products made with isomalt
have a sugarlike taste and a long shelf-life. Isomalt wafers and cookies absorb
a lower amount of water than sugar formulations. Therefore, they stay crispier
during storage, even if the sugar is only partly replaced. The texture of wafers
and extruded food products can be improved by adding isomalt to the mixture
(42). For texture improvement, isomalt can be added to sweet, and to salted products.
Figure 9 illustrates that the moisture pickup in wafer sheets with only 5%
Figure 9 Moisture pickup in wafer sheets during conditioning at 30°C, 35% rh. The
standard formulation does not contain sugar, or isomalt; 1 standard with no sucrose;
2 5 parts isomalt-ST; 3 10 parts isomalt-ST.