Maltitol is a sugar substitute that is processed in many industrial foods. Find out more about maltitol and its special features here.
Maltitol: difference to sweeteners
The group of sweeteners is one of the most widespread sugar alternatives. These include both artificial and natural sweeteners such as aspartame, acesulfame-K, saccharin, erythritol, sucralose or stevia. Far less well known is the group of sugar substitutes, which include maltitol, xylitol and sorbitol, for example.
The chemical structure of sugar substitutes is similar to that of standard household sugar. That’s why they taste similar: Maltitol, for example, can bind to the sweet receptors on the tongue – just like table sugar.
However, since maltitol has a slightly different structure to table sugar, it does not bind quite as well to the taste receptors. Its sweetening power is around 90 percent of that of conventional table sugar. The sweetening power describes the sweetness of a substance as perceived by test persons compared to table sugar. As a reference, household sugar therefore has a sweetening power of 100 percent. For example, to sweeten a coffee, you need to add 11.1 percent more maltitol than regular sugar to achieve the same sweetening effect.
This is the key difference between sugar substitutes such as maltitol and sweeteners. The sweetener aspartame, for example, has 180 times the sweetening power of sugar, while stevia is 300 times sweeter than the original. Only a small amount of sweeteners is therefore required to achieve the desired sweetness.
How can maltitol be used and in which foods is it found?
Although maltitol is not quite as sweet as table sugar, it has only half as many calories. It is mainly used as a sugar substitute for diabetics because, unlike table sugar, it does not contain glucose.
Maltitol is made on the basis of maltose (or malt sugar). Maltose does not increase insulin levels in our body, so diabetics can consume maltitol without any problems. Typical products in which maltitol is used as a sweetener include sugar-free biscuits and chewing gum.
Maltitol has a high water-binding capacity, which enables industry to use maltitol as a preservative. The addition of maltitol protects baked goods from drying out. It is therefore increasingly found in breads and pastries. In addition, maltitol binds sauces and, as an emulsifier, prevents fat droplets from settling from the aqueous phase. Malite is therefore often included in instant soups, powdered sauces and sauce thickeners.
If a food manufacturer adds maltitol to his product, he must identify it with the number E965 in the list of ingredients.
Why you shouldn’t consume large amounts of maltitol
Maltitol is considered a food additive that is harmless to health. However, you should not consume large amounts of malitite, as this can lead to undesirable side effects.
Maltitol can have a laxative effect and cause diarrhea in high doses. This was the experience of American consumers, for example, who tested the sugar-free gummy bears newly introduced by Haribo. After increased complaints about diarrhea, flatulence and stomach pains, Haribo took the product off the market again. Special care should be taken with confectionery sweetened with maltitol, as these very often contain large amounts of maltitol. In Germany, products that contain more than ten percent maltitol must carry the warning “excessive consumption can have a laxative effect”.
To rule out such undesirable side effects from the outset, you can avoid foods with maltitol. Maltitol is found almost exclusively in processed foods. Eating a balanced diet with fresh, local and unprocessed foods makes it easy to eat maltitol-free. Such a diet is also more environmentally friendly.
