Title: Alternative Sweeteners

408 Buck
is a benefit and in other cases both sucrose and HFCS are the preferred combination
in these products. Formulators adjust the mixture with corn syrup, maltodextrin,
or other bulking agents to fine-tune the sweetness, freezing point, and texture
of the system.
Dairies incorporating HFCS in frozen desserts are likely to manufacture
chocolate milk as well. HFCS works well in this beverage and has an ingredientsparing
effect on cocoa powder, allowing a 5–15% reduction (11).
VIII. REGULATORY STATUS
HFCS containing 42 or 55 percent fructose is affirmed GRAS with no limitations
other than current good manufacturing practices per Chapter 21 of the U.S. Code
of Federal Regulations Part 184.1866.
IX. NUTRITIONAL, SAFETY, AND REGULATORY STATUS
The nutritional value of HFCS is essentially that of 100% carbohydrate. Of the
carbohydrate fraction, roughly 98% of HFCS is classified as sugars (monosaccharides
and disaccharide) for nutritional labeling. The product is marketed as a
nutritive sweetener and most manufacturers simply suggest using a caloric value
of 4.0 kcal/g for the dry substance.
Because of the tremendous increase in HFCS consumption since the 80s
with a corresponding decrease in sucrose consumption, from time to time we see
references in the media of increased consumption of fructose. Commercially,
much of the sucrose sold before the advent of HFCS was in the form of medium
invert, which is a liquid and contains, at manufacture, about 50% sucrose, 25%
dextrose, and 25% fructose. Referring again to Table 10, in acidic media such
as soft drinks and in the body, sucrose will invert to approximately equal amounts
of dextrose and fructose. Therefore, despite the many new applications for HFCS
over the last several years, fructose per capita consumption is not much different
because the increase in free fructose consumption was associated with a decrease
in sucrose consumption, and the amount consumed has remained 8% of total daily
energy intake (17). In addition, in the generally recommended as safe affirmation
review by FDA, the agency concluded that HFCS ‘‘contains approximately the
same glucose to fructose ratio as honey, invert sugar, and the disaccharide sucrose.’’
Table 13 shows the changes in the per capita sweetener consumption
since 1970.
Glycemic index is a measure of the rate at which a food substance raises
blood sugar after ingestion and is often used by persons with diabetes as an
indicator of the suitability of a particular food or ingredient in their meal plan.