Isomaltulose

Isomaltulose is a disaccharide carbohydrate composed of glucose and fructose linked by an alpha-1,6-glycosidic bond (chemical name: 6-0-α-D-glucopyranosyl-D-fructose). It is naturally present in honey and sugar cane extracts. It tastes similar to sucrose with half the sweetness. Isomaltulose is also known by the trade name Palatinose™, which is manufactured by enzymatic rearrangement (isomerization) from sucrose. The enzyme and its source were discovered in Germany in 1950. After evaluation of its basic physiology—reviewed—it has been used as a sugar alternative in foods in Japan since 1985, in the EU since 2005, in the US since 2006, and in Australia and New Zealand since 2007, besides numerous other countries worldwide where isomaltulose can be found today. Characterization, purity and analytical methods for commercial isomaltulose are laid down for example, in the Food Chemicals Codex. Physical and physiological properties of isomaltulose (Palatinose) have been summarised; its physical properties closely resemble those of sucrose making it easy to use in existing recipes and processes.