Title: Alternative Sweeteners

23
Trehalose
Alan B. Richards
Hayashibara International Inc., Westminster, Colorado
Lee B. Dexter
Lee B. Dexter & Associates, Austin, Texas
I. INTRODUCTION
Trehalose is a unique disaccharide with important functional properties. Although
these properties have been recognized for many years, it is only recently that the
use of trehalose in a wide variety of products has been considered economically
feasible. This change resulted from the development of a novel system of manufacture
that dramatically reduces production costs, making it possible to integrate
trehalose into a wide range of cost-sensitive products. The various physical properties
as they relate to food applications are only now being explored. This chapter
reviews various aspects of trehalose and provides preliminary information on its
functional properties, potential use, regulatory status, and safety profile.
II. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Trehalose is believed to have been first isolated in 1832 from the ergot of rye
by Wiggers (1). The name ‘‘trehalose’’ was coined years later when Berthelot
extracted the same disaccharide as the primary sugar contained in a cocoonlike
secretion of a beetle found in the Iraqi desert. The insect cocoon or shell was
known as ‘‘trehala manna’’ (2). Other insects make similar structures using different
sugars (2, 3). Trehala manna was described as a sticky raw material, and
Leibowitz reported that about 30–45% of the dry weight of the manna was trehalose
(2, 3). Bedouins have been known to gather manna, found on leaves of
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