About Zerose™ sweetener
What is Zerose™ Sweetener?
Zerose™ is Cargill’s brand for erythritol.What is erythritol? (pronounced ee-rith-ri-tol)
While its name may seem very scientific, erythritol is the only all-natural, non-caloric alternative to sugar. It shares a place with sugar as a sweetener that is made from a natural source.Erythritol is currently used as a bulk sweetener in reduced calorie foods. It has been part of the human diet for thousands of years as it is present in fruits such as pears, melons and grapes, as well as foods such as mushrooms and fermentation-derived foods such as wine, soy sauce and cheese. Since 1990, erythritol has been commercially produced and added to foods and beverages to provide sweetness, as well as enhance taste and texture.
Erythritol, also known as a polyol or sugar alcohol, is a white crystalline powder that is odorless, with a clean sweet taste that is similar to sucrose. Like other polyols, erythritol does not promote tooth decay and is safe for people with diabetes. However, erythritol’s caloric value of 0 calories* per gram and high digestive tolerance distinguishes it from some other polyols. Because erythritol is rapidly absorbed in the small intestine and rapidly eliminated by the body within 24 hours, laxative side effects sometimes associated with excessive polyol consumption are unlikely when consuming foods containing erythritol.
Erythritol is suitable for people with diabetes, and does not promote tooth decay. It fits the need for a healthy lifestyle shared by so many consumers today.
* NOTE: Zero calorie determination is based on recent scientific studies cited in a petition submitted to the FDA.
How is Zerose Sweetener Made?
Erythritol has been part of the human diet for thousands of years. It exists naturally at low levels in many fruits and in popular fermented foods such as soy sauce, cheese, wine, beer and sake. It can be produced from a variety of carbohydrate sources such as organic sucrose (sugar) non-GM (genetically modified) sugar, or dextrose from starch. The carbohydrate is mixed with water and fermented with a natural culture. This process is similar to how yogurt is made from milk. (In yogurt, dairy cultures are used; in erythritol, cultures from fresh pollen in a honeycomb.) It is then filtered, crystallized and dried resulting a final product that’s 99.5% pure. Because erythritol occurs naturally and is produced naturally, it is very different from sweeteners like Splenda® and Equal® that are artificially produced.
Is Zerose Sweetener Good for Me?
Health and Nutrition Benefits of Zerose™Low in calories: Erythritol has a very low caloric content; its value is 0 calories* per gram for food labeling purposes in the United States and 0 (zero) Kilocalories per gram for food labeling purposes in Japan. The human body does not convert erythritol to energy or fat, so it contributes no calories. Thus, erythritol is uniquely qualified as a very low calorie bulk sweetener for formulating “light” and “reduced calorie” products which require a 25% or more calorie reduction from the standard formulation.
* NOTE: Zero calorie determination is based on recent scientific studies cited in a petition submitted to the FDA.
Suitable for people with diabetes: Single dose and 14-day clinical studies demonstrate erythritol does not affect blood serum glucose or insulin levels. Clinical studies conducted in people with diabetes conclude that erythritol may be safely used to replace sucrose in foods formulated specifically for people with diabetes. Of course, those with diabetes should consider the impact on their diet of other ingredients used in foods sweetened with erythritol.
Does not cause tooth decay: Erythritol, like other polyols, is resistant to metabolism by oral bacteria which break down sugars and starches to produce acids which may lead to tooth enamel loss and cavitiy formation. They are, therefore, non-cariogenic. The usefulness of polyols, including erythritol, as alternatives to sugars and as part of a comprehensive program including proper dental hygiene has been recognized by the Food & Drug Association. The FDA has approved the use of a "does not promote tooth decay" health claim in labeling for sugar-free foods that contain erythritol or other polyols.
High digestive tolerance: Erythritol is rapidly absorbed in the small intestine due to its small molecular size and structure. Several clinical studies conducted in Europe and Japan have shown that more than 90% of ingested erythritol is absorbed and excreted unchanged in urine within a 24-hour period. This digestive pathway allows less than 5% of ingested erythritol to reach the large intestine and be fermented into volatile fatty acids or metabolized into carbon dioxide. As a result, foods containing substantial amounts of erythritol are very unlikely to cause gaseous and laxation side effects. A recent clinical study concluded daily consumption of 1 gram per kilogram body weight is well tolerated by adults as compared to foods containing sucrose.
Nutrition Facts
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Calorie Values
Examples of calorie values for polyols in various countries/areas (Kcal/g)
Is Zerose Sweetener Kosher certified?
Yes, Zerose sweetener is certified Kosher parve by the Orthodox Union.
Is Zerose Sweetener GRAS?
The safety of erythritol as a food ingredient under conditions of its intended use is substantiated by a number of human and animal safety studies, including short- and long- term feeding, multi-generation reproduction and teratology (malformations) studies.The U.S. GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) affirmation petition states erythritol is intended for use as a flavor enhancer, formulation aid, humectant, nutritive sweetener, stabilizer and thickener, suquestrant and texturizer. The petition lists maximum erythritol use levels of 100% in sugar substitutes, 50% in hard candies, 40% in soft candies, 1.5% in reduced and low-calorie beverages, 60% in fat-based creams for cookies, cakes and pastries, 7% in dietetic cookies and wafers, and 60% in chewing gum.
Erythritol has been used in Japan since 1990 in candies, chocolates, soft drinks, chewing gums, yogurts, fillings, cookie coatings, jellies, jams and sugar substitutes. Petitions have been submitted to additional governmental agencies throughout the world to expand the use of erythritol.
Suitable for People with Diabetes: Single dose and 14-day clinical studies demonstrate erythritol does not affect blood serum glucose or insulin levels. Clinical studies conducted in people with diabetes conclude that erythritol may be safely used to replace sucrose in foods formulated specifically for people with diabetes. Of course, those with diabetes should consider the impact on their diet of other ingredients used in foods sweetened with erythritol.
What is a Polyol?
Polyols are hydrogenated carbohydrates which are found naturally in various fruits and vegetables. Because their molecules share certain structural characteristics with both carbohydrates and alcohol they are also known as “sugar alcohols.”Polyol sweeteners, mainly based on starch derivatives, were first developed in the 1930s. They are particularly useful to food manufacturers as ingredients because they can be used to replace all of the functions associated with sucrose while having a lower gram for gram calorific value than sugar. They are most commonly used for ‘bulk’ sweetening because, unlike intense sweeteners, they can be used to replace sugar at a 1:1 ratio, allowing manufacturers to sweeten products while reducing the calorie content. As such, polyols are often used to produce healthier alternatives to many traditional recipes without compromising on taste or quality, usually known as “energy reduced,” “no added sugar,”, “reduced sugar” or “sugar free” versions.
The most commonly used polyols are Sorbitol, Mannitol, Maltitol, Isomalt, Lactitol, Xylitol and Erythritol.
A Brief History of Sweetness
People have sweetened food since before recorded history began. The first sweetener was almost certainly honey, one of the only sweetener products provided by nature in a ready-to-use form. Sugar was first produced from sugar cane, developed from wild varieties in the East Indies, and came to the West as an expensive import. The sugar beet was known to the ancient Egyptians and the Romans, among others, but it was not until 1747 that a German chemist discovered how to extract crystals from the root - making possible the commercial production of sugar from a crop that could be grown in temperate climates.With sugar no longer a luxury food but an inexpensive commodity, health problems associated with its over-consumption became apparent in the 19th century. Food scientists began the long search for a substitute which would taste as sweet, but would not contribute to obesity or tooth decay.
Saccharin, a coal tar derivative 300 to 500 times as sweet as cane sugar, was discovered in 1879 and is still widely manufactured and used today. Cyclamates, a group of synthetic sweeteners derived from cyclohexylamine or cyclamic acid, were discovered in 1937. Aspartame, another chemically derived sweetener 150-200 times as sweet as sucrose, was discovered in 1965.
Apart from some problems with their taste profiles – they have never been able to match sugar completely – these 'intense' sweeteners cannot replace the functional properties of sugar. In many foods sugar adds bulk and texture, acts as a preservative, contributes to mouthfeel, and helps to achieve the desired texture and consistency.
Polyol sweeteners, based on starch derivatives, were developed in the 1930s to mimic these functional properties. They do not have the extreme sweetness of many low-calorie sweeteners but can be used to thicken and texturize, and are often blended with intense sweeteners for perfect results. However, some polyol sweeteners can cause digestive intolerance if consumed in large quantities.
Sorbitol – volume-wise, today's most important polyol bulk sweetener - has been used as a sweetener for people with diabetes since the early 1930s. The real breakthrough came with the first sugar-free confectionery products launched in the late 1970s. Those products focused on health aspects, such as reduced calorie content and tooth-friendliness and are not specifically designed to be suitable for people with diabetes.
Cerestar, a company that was acquired by Cargill in 2002, started the erythritol development process in the early 1980s. Zerose sweetener is Cargill’s brand name for erythritol.
Zerose sweetener is a new/novel and unique bulk sweetener with a calorie value of zero* and approximately 70 percent as sweet as sucrose. Its small molecular size means that it is easily absorbed in the digestive tract and does not cause digestive problems under its anticipated conditions of use.
A fermentation process using natural raw materials derived from corn was developed by Cerestar, first on laboratory scale, then on a pilot industrial scale. Commercial production of purified, high quality erythritol – initially for the Japanese market - started in 1993.