Ingredients --
Hydrogenated Starch Hydrosylate
Description
Hydrogenated starch hydrosylate
is a mixture of several
polyols, or sugar alcohols, such
as
sorbitol,
maltitol,
and
mannitol,
among others.
It is made from
corn starch,
potato starch, or wheat starch,
which is broken down into small units
such as
glucose,
dextrin,
malto-dextrin,
and
polydextrin,
by amylase enzymes in a process called
hydrolyzing.
Hydrolyzing breaks the bond between two glucose molecules by
adding an OH to one glucose, and a hydrogen to the other. The
H and OH come from splitting water, hence the name hydrolyze,
which means to break apart using water.
After the starch is broken into little pieces of glucose and
short glucose chains, the pieces are converted from sugars to sugar
alcohols by adding two hydrogens, using heat and pressure. The
addition of hydrogen to a molecule is called
hydrogenation.
If the starch is completely hydrolyzed, so that there are only
single glucose molecules, then after hydrogenation the result is
sorbitol.
If the starch is not completely hydolyzed,
then a mixture of
sorbitol,
maltitol,
and longer chain hydrogenated saccharides (such as maltitriitol)
is produced. When there is no single dominant polyol in the mix,
the generic name
hydrogenated starch hydrosylate
is used.
If more than half of the polyols in the mixture are of one type,
then the mixture is called "sorbitol syrup", or "maltitol syrup",
etc.
Uses
Hydrogenated starch hydrosylate
is used in low calorie candies, and in many foods as both
a sweetener and as a
humectant (moisture retaining ingredient).
As a crystallization modifier, it can prevent syrups from forming
crystals of sugar. It is used to add body and viscosity to mixtures,
and can protect against damage from freezing and drying.
Hydrogenated starch hydrosylate
is also used as a carrier for enzymes, colors, or flavors.
By Simon Quellen Field