Title: Alternative Sweeteners

Fat and Oil Replacers 529
verifying that it is recognized as a food. The flour marketed by Zumbro contains
13.2% dietary fiber and 65.7% carbohydrates (78.4% DP-2, 15.2% DP-2 as
fructose/fructose and fructose/glucose). Inulin can been used for fat replacement
in food products in dry and gel form because a 30–40% solids gel has a fatty
feel. The gel strength can be varied to result in a low-calorie fat replacement for
specific uses. Several studies indicate the caloric value of inulin is approximately
1.0 to 1.5 kcal/g. Inulin is metabolized preferentially by bifidobacteria in the
colon, thereby providing many benefits. However, inulin’s uses in foods are still
poorly understood. Many Asian and European uses have focused on the health
benefits, which are unknown to the U.S. consumer.
In most cultures, plants or plant-derived ingredients (such as flour) have
long been used as thickening agents. In plants, starch is a reserve carbohydrate,
deposited as granules in the seeds, tubers, or roots. These starch granules differ
in size and shape, depending on the plant source (Table 2). Granules of rice starch
are small (3–8 µm), polygonal in shape, and tend to aggregate, thereby forming
clusters. Cornstarch granules are slightly larger (approximately 15 µm) and round
to polygonal. Tapioca granules are even larger (approximately 20 µm), with
rounded shapes that are truncated at one end. Wheat starch tends to cluster in
several size ranges: normal granules are approximately 18 µm; larger granules
average about about 24 µm; and smaller granules average approximately 7 to 8
µm, with round to elliptical shapes. Potato starches are oval and very large, averaging
30 to 50 µm. It is important to note these variations in granule size and
shape because they yield distinct differences in viscosity development, stability,
Table 2 Starches—Sources
and Modifications
Source
Corn (common, waxy, high amylose)
Rice
Tapioca
Potato
Wheat
Chemical modification
Cross-linked
Substitution
Acid hydrolysis (particle gel)
Physical modification
Pregelatinization (instant)