Maltitol Syrup

Description

Maltitol belongs to the sugar alcohols and is also appropriate for diabetics as sugar substitute. It has a somewhat lower sweetening power than sugar (85%).

Application

Maltitol is applied to several products and fulfils different technological functions, for example :

• as sweetener in products for diabetics
• amongst other things, confectionery, desserts, ice cream, chewing gum
• also as wetting agent in marzipans- and nougat products
• as carrier substance or stabiliser for vitamins and aromas

Gene technology

Maltose is the base for the production of maltitol. It is produced from starch in plants during the process of starch saccharification.

• Maize starch can partly consist of genetically modified maize, especially when raw materials are imported from the USA or Argentina. In the EU, genetically modified maize is grown on a comparatively small area and nonetheless is not used as raw material for foodstuff. This may change in the case that the cultivation of GM maize increases in significance. Ingredients derived from several types of GM maize are approved in the EU.
• Enzymes solubilise plant starch and metabolise it into compounds that are distinguished as ingredients and additives. Several of these enzymes are produced with help of GM microorganisms such as amylases, glucose-isomerase, pullulanase.

Labelling: starch based additives are subject to a labelling requirement, if they are directly produced from GM plants (e.g. maize). Whether this also applies to maltitol that results by way of various processing stages of starch and maltose respectively, is not explicitly clarified legally. In practice, it has been established that labelling does not take place.

Enzymes and their manner of production are generally not declared on the list of ingredients.