D-tagatose is a kind of rare sugar. It is a new type of functional sweetener discovered in recent years that has the functions of low-calorie, lowering blood sugar, regulating intestinal flora, and anti-caries. It was recognized as a generally recognized safe food by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2001, and was approved as a food raw material by my country's National Health and Family Planning Commission in 2014. 

The sweetness of D-tagatose is similar to that of sucrose, the sweetness is 92% of that of sucrose, and there is basically no bad peculiar smell and aftertaste. The calories produced are only 1/3 of that of sucrose, and the energy value is 1.5kcal/g. Moreover, D-tagatose is prone to Maillard reaction, and caramelization reaction can occur at a relatively low temperature, so it has a wide range of application prospects in food fields such as dairy products, beverages, cereal products, candies, and preserved fruits.

Applications

1. Used in baked goods

In many bakery products, tagatose is used as a flavor enhancer. Because tagatose has a high degree of Maillard reaction, it is necessary to strictly control the addition amount, otherwise it will produce bitter taste. Adding tagatose to bread in small doses can increase bread moisture, improve flavor, and increase the color of bread and biscuits.

2. Used in chewing gum

Adding a small dose of tagatose to chewing gum can prolong the sweetness time and produce a special flavor. It can be added to chewing gum or used as a sugar coating. Adding more than 15% can produce the same flavor as peppermint oil and fruit, and can also enhance the flavor of peppermint oil and promote the sourness of some fruit flavors, but it does not increase the viscosity of the chewing gum.

Tagatose can be used in conjunction with other polyols and xylitol to make up for the shortcomings of diarrhea caused by a large amount of polyols.

3. Used in beverages

Compared with high-sweetness drinks, low-energy drinks often lack taste and taste. Adding 1% tagatose to low-energy drinks can produce a better taste, mask bad flavors, reduce bitterness, and harmonize sweetness.

Tagatose added to milk-based beverages, such as chocolate yogurt and fruit-type yogurt, can improve the bad flavor caused by the use of high-sweetness sweeteners, obtain good sweetness, extend sweetness, and reduce bitterness. .

4. Used in meat products

Meat products such as cured meats and hams contain relatively high carbohydrates (2% to 7%), which can easily cause microbial contamination and lead to economic losses. Tagatose cannot be used by lactic acid bacteria that can cause spoilage and some pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, etc. If it is added to meat products, it can not only play the role of carbohydrates, but also prevent microorganisms. Pollution.

5. Used in health food

Because tagatose has a prebiotic effect, it can effectively improve the intestinal flora and prevent colon cancer, so it can be used as a raw material for health functional foods.