It is half as sweet as table sugar, i.e., 45% as sweet as sugar.
What is Trehalose?
Trehalose is a stable Natural Saccharide( Sweetener). The ingredient is used in baking, beverages, chocolates and other food formulations. The molecule is made up of two glucose units and does not participate in Maillard or caramelization reactions( does not get brown on heating).
Its anti-staling properties, thermal stabilization of wheat proteins and beneficial impact on bread yeast make it an ideal component of frozen dough systems.
Trehalose properties :
- Stable in a wide pH range (3.5 to 10)
- Stable at high temperatures (up to 248 °F /120°C) for 90 minutes
- Water soluble- 69g/100mL at 68°F (20 °C)
- It is 45% as sweet as sucrose.
- Sweetener and Stabilizer
- Prevent Moisture Absorption
- Low cariogenic, low hygroscopic, high freezing point reduction
- Trehalose is high in calories, has no laxative effect and is broken down into glucose upon ingestion. It has a moderate glycaemic index and low insulin resistance.
Nature and Properties :
Trehalose is widely used to prolong food shelf life, trehalose protects foods from drying out, starch-containing products from going stale, and fruits and vegetables from discolouring. It also suppresses ice crystal growth in frozen foods, reducing food loss.
Function
Trehalose can be used to:
- Increase moisture retention in baked goods, reduce chewiness and hardness and keep the product moist for longer.
- Provide anti-staling properties.
- Improve yeast viability in frozen doughs.
- Enhance the quality of bread made from frozen dough.
Applications
It can be used in bread and other baked goods due to its protein stabilizing properties and texture improvement. Bread baked with up to 11% trehalose was preferred in a sensory comparison test over the control. It was also found to reduce bread hardening rate.
