The functional properties of sugar These days, sugar comes in many varieties and can therefore be used in many different food products. Sugar has a range of unique SWEETNESS properties that, either individually or in combination, make it an sweet products are rarely poisonous, in sweetener, we therefore calculate the important ingredient in modern food production. Sugar is also one of contrast to many bitter substances. substance’s “relative sweetness”. the simplest structures in nature and, of all the staple products in our The only definition of a sweet taste is that Relative sweetness is a measure of how it “tastes like sugar”. Sugar has a uniquely sweet a specific substance is in relation to diet, has the broadest area of use. clean sweetness that is entirely free from sugar. We compare different concentrations off-taste or aftertaste. of a sweetener with a reference solution We can only measure sweetness by consisting of saccharose (usually 5-10%). tasting. In other words, it is a subjective Ordinary sugar has a comparison figure of 1. sensation that is transferred via the gusta- All natural varieties of sugar have a low tory nerves in the taste buds on the tongue relative sweetness compared with high- and passed on to the brain. inten sity sweeteners, which are often several Several factors affect the sensation of hundred times sweeter than ordinary sugar. sweetness. The concentration of sweetener, The primary functions of sugar in food temperature, pH value, other ingredients, Relative sweetness of sugars products are to provide sweetness and and the sensitivity of the individual. energy. Our sense of taste can identify four Subjective factors such as appearance and Sugar Sweetness basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty and bitter. colour can also affect the sensation of taste. Sucrose 1 The first taste that we encounter (breast In order for a substance to taste sweet, it Glucose 0.6 - 0.7 milk) is sweet, which may be why a sweet must be water-soluble and its concentration Fructose 0.8 - 1.4 taste is appreciated and in terpreted must exceed the taste threshold. In the Invert Sugar 1 positively. context of food, sweeteners are often Glucose Syrup, DE = 60 0.3 - 0.6 Our inherent affinity for sweetness may present in concentrations well above the also be explained by the fact that, in nature, threshold value. To specify the intensity of a Glucose Syrup, DE = 40 0.3 - 0.4 TASTE AND AROMA An important property of sugar is that it can In other words, we can use sugar as a enhance tastes and aromas both above and flavouring in such low concentrations that below the sweetness threshold value. For it falls below the sweet taste threshold example, a small amount of added sugar value, i.e. below approx. 1% sugar. can enhance the taste of nutritious, but sour Traditionally, people have added small or bitter foods. amounts of sugar to certain cooked meat Sugar’s aroma enhancing properties are products such as ham or liver pâté. used in a wide range of foods, such as bread and fruit products. A small amount of added sugar can enhance the taste of cooked vegetables and meat without making them sweet. VOLUME Sugar can affect the weight and volume of In sponge cakes and cup cakes sugar creates food. The volume of liquid is only affected bulk – in other words volume. The sugar still At Nordic Sugar, we are happy to place our compre- These resources are updated and expanded on an slightly by sugar. has a physical presence. If we were to stop hensive knowledge of the role played by sugar in food ongoing basis in order to provide you with valuable The volumes of bakery products can be using sugar in these products the amount of affected in various ways. energy obtained from fat would increase. at the disposal of our customers, either in the course information, whether you work in product develop- Sugar increases the volume of bread of our daily business or when developing new products ment, sales, marketing, PR or purchasing. because the yeast breaks down all or part in partnership with others. The information is set out in a multi-level format to of the sugar/syrup and transforms it into And this is not all that we are doing to provide enable you to quickly and easily find whatever you are various components, including carbon information about the functional properties of sugar! interested in. dioxide. This carbon dioxide increases the We also offer a comprehensive set of resources, which volume of the bread and makes it more are described in this brochure. porous. TEXTURE REDUCING THE FREEZING POINT Texture is an expression of the sensation in fail. If the pH value is too high, the gelling Sugar affects the freezing point of foods. This means that glucose, fructose and invert the mouth. Sugar affects this by providing process will be incomplete, whereas if the The higher the concentration of sugar, the sugar are more effective than ordinary sugar volume and consistency in many products pH value is too low, the jelly will be unstable lower the freezing point. in reducing the freezing point of foods. such as bread, jam and beverages. and runny. A low freezing point is important in ice In bread, sugar affects the volume of When combined with the fruit pectin and cream and frozen desserts. It reduces the dough by speeding up the fermentation acids in the correct proportions, sugar risk of large crystals of ice forming. process. This gives the bread a more porous brings the jelly, marmalade or jam to the Small ice crystals have a positive effect on structure and softer crumb. correct consistency. However, certain fruits the sensation in the mouth, and hence on In the manufacture of jam, marmalade with very low pectin levels may require the taste. and jelly, it is important to strike the correct added pectin in order to achieve the correct The freezing point depression is due to balance between sugar, pectin and acid. consistency. the number of molecules per unit of weight. Sugar’s ability to gel when combined with Sugar is important in defining the body pectin is vital to the consistency of the of beverages, i.e. how filling they are. product. This affects the sensation in the mouth, Too much sugar may crystallise, while too and hence the sense of taste. little sugar will cause the gelling process to SHELF LIFE COLOUR The preservative properties of sugar are By creating the most unfavourable combina- Sugar can give many food products an the temperature rises and is dependent on exploited in products such as jams, juices tion of e.g. pH, water activity and tempera- appetising colour. This may be through cara- the pH value. Sugar molecules are initially and pickling solutions. Foods are preserved ture for microorganisms, it is possible to melisation, the Maillard reaction, or because broken down, after which the decomposi- to avoid or inhibit the growth of microor- reduce the proportion of preservatives. sugar is able to preserve colour. tion substances react with one another, with ganisms that destroy the product and to Sugar can play an important role in this. The Maillard reaction (a reaction between water and with sugar that has not yet been avoid pathogenic microorganisms that cause Since sugar binds water, adding sugar sugar and amino acids) gives rise to brown- broken down and transform into a mass of diseases reduces water activity. The less water activity ing and flavouring in products such as delicate brown, sweet-tasting molecules. Microorganisms need water in order to there is, the longer the product will last. bread, coffee, heated desserts and cakes. Products such as caramel sauce and caramel grow. They absorb water via the outer layer Microorganisms can only live in “free” water. The Maillard reaction is an extremely com- browning are based on caramelisation. of the cell. If the concentration of sugar in If the water activity level is low enough, plex reaction and its end products include Caramel browning is a food colorant that food is raised to a certain level, all water is microorganisms cannot destroy the food. pigmentation, which causes coloration and is usually manufactured by heating up alka- bound by the sugar. This inhibits the growth A sugar level of 500 g per kg of berries or aroma. line sugar solutions to create caramelisation. of microorganisms, because the availability pulp is equivalent to a water activity of 0.97, Caramelisation refers to the thermail It is used in soft drinks, beer, confectionery of water is reduced and water activity drops. while a sugar level of 1 kg per kg of berries decomposition of sugar and occurs when products, soups and sauces. Adding sugar to the solution increases the or pulp reduces the water activity to 0.92. a sugar solution is heated to above 100°C. A certain content of sugar ensures that osmotic pressure, thereby reducing the When the mixture is boiled, this proportion The degree of caramelisation increases as jams and marmalades retain their colour. opportunities for microorganisms to grow. of sugar inhibits moulds. FERMENtatioN MOISTURE RETENTION The fermentation process has been used for the end product. A little sugar (or syrup) In products such as biscuits and boiled binds water, reactions that need water are centuries to produce or preserve foods. The makes the yeast ferment faster and more sweets, which contain small amounts of delayed if sugar is present. The shelf life of fermentation process often involves the use effectively than when no sugar is added. water and large amounts of sugar, the bread is extended because sugar causes of yeast and some kind of carbohydrate, e.g.