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Opening the door to mass production of rare sugar tagatose

The backlash against sugar has prompted food manufacturers to search for alternatives that can replace the sweetness of sucrose without the calories. However, sweetener alternatives bring their own challenges from the health concerns associated with artificial sweeteners like aspartame to the unpleasant after-taste of stevia.

Tagatose, which is 90% as sweet as sugar and contains 1.5 calories per gram (compared to 3.9 for sucrose), has two approved EU health claims for contributing to tooth mineralisation and inducing a lower blood glucose spike than table sugar. It is only partially digested by the body with the rest acting as a fibre in the intestine said to have beneficial prebiotic…

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Featured

 How Bonumose’s new tagatose facility moves better-for-you sweeteners forward

The Virginia plant producing the rare sugar officially opened this month, making a supply of the healthier stand-in for sucrose available for manufacturers.

 Inside the fierce, messy fight over “healthy” sugar tech

In a former insurance office building on the outskirts of Charlottesville, Virginia, a new kind of sugar factory is taking shape. The 48,000-square-foot facility is being developed by a startup called Bonumose, funded in part by Hershey. It uses a processed corn product called maltodextrin that is found in many junk foods. Like its notorious counterpart high-fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin is calorically similar to table sugar (sucrose), is just as bad for your teeth, and actually causes worse blood sugar spikes. But for Bonumose, maltodextrin isn’t an ingredient—it’s a raw material. When it’s poured into the company’s gleaming bioreactors later this year, what emerges will be a “rare sugar” called tagatose.

 The Next Big Thing In Sugar Substitutes Is On Its Way

Initial studies show that tagatose boasts many qualities as other sugar alternatives because it is low in carbohydrates, non-carcinogenic, and low-glycemic. It also naturally occurs in fruits and dairy, which is good news for health-conscious consumers.

Articles of Interest

Allulose to Tagatose in Sugar Replacement

Tagatose, another rare sugar, is a monosaccharide isomer of fructose. It is naturally occurring in dairy and some fruits. Commercially, it is produced by isomerization of galactose from lactose or by enzymatic conversion of galactose. Tagatose delivers 1.5 calories/gram. It is currently labeled as sugar but may eventually follow the precedent set by allulose regulations and become exempt from sugar/added sugar regulation in the U.S. Tagatose is about 20% absorbed and fully metabolized. Its digestive tolerance is comparable to allulose. It has a low glycemic index and is “tooth friendly.”

Cheaper, more efficient alternative to traditional sugar: Researchers unlock improved tagatose production

Researchers from Tufts University, US, have developed a process that may unlock the commercial potential of tagatose, a low-calorie, low-glycemic sugar. By using bacteria as tiny bioreactors that encapsulate the enzymes and reactants, the scientists were able to increase yields from 30 to 85 percent, which they say could lead to large-scale manufacturing and getting tagatose on every supermarket shelf.

FDA rules tagatose must be classified as an added sugar

Sweetener maker Bonumose questions the decision given the ingredient’s health benefits, floating the idea of potential bias at the department.

Tagatose Sugar Substitute: Is It Safe for Diabetics?

You might be familiar with alternative sugars like stevia and splenda, but tagatose is a sugar substitute you might not have heard of.

The version of sugar that won’t affect your blood glucose levels – and why you can’t have it

There is a natural alternative to sugar that’s perfect for people with diabetes. It tastes exactly the same, but it isn’t metabolised the same way, so it won’t spike your blood glucose levels. But it’s never been produced on a large scale. It’s called L-glucose, and its story begins with a mission to find life on Mars. No, really. This is the first time you’ll hear about sugar and Mars, and not be talking about the chocolate bar.

What is Tagatose?

Tagatose is a sweet simple sugar (monosaccharide), with a very low glycaemic index and low-calorie content. Tagatose does not spike blood sugar or insulin levels. Tagatose is derived from lactose. However, unlike lactose, tagatose can be tolerated by people with lactose intolerance. Tagatose is also naturally found in breast milk.