Lactitol is a disaccharide polyol that is derived from the natural milk sugar:
lactose.
Danisco produces lactitol by the catalytic hydrogenation of lactose
and further crystallisation ensures the highest purity and flowability.
Benefits
- Lactitol is a disaccharide with many similar characteristics to sucrose, hence
can be a direct replacement for sucrose in many applications.
- Other benefits include a reduced caloric value at 2.4kcal/g, which is accepted
for nutritional labelling in the EU and 2kcal/g in the USA and as such is used
to create high quality sugar free and low carb products.
- It is metabolised independently of insulin and as such is suitable for the
diabetic diet.
- Lactitol can also be used as an active prebiotic, as studies have shown that
it stimulates the growth of gut-friendly bacteria. The daily dosage required to
encourage this activity is low, hence neither taste nor texture are compromised.
- Lactitol has a glycaemic index of 3±1 and as such is considered to
be low or even non-glycaemic, therefore highly recommended for today’s diet.
Lactitol is not fermented in the mouth and as such is tooth-friendly, as it will
not contribute to the formulation of dental caries.
Application areas
Lactitol is a widely used ingredient for sugar-free chocolate applications, baked
goods and ice cream, providing reduced calorie, sugar free, suitable for diabetics
and prebiotic finished products.
It has low hygroscopicity and hence is useful for crisp baked goods, providing
a longer shelf life.
Current applications
- chocolate
- baked goods
- chewing gum
- ice cream
- fruit preparations
- confectionery
- table-top sweeteners
- cryoprotectant for surimi
- certain pharmaceutical preparations
Product range
Lactitol crystallises in several anhydrous and hydrous forms and is available
in both monohydrate and anhydrous grades, depending on the application requirement.
Product examples
- Lactitol AC
- Lactitol ACM
- Lactitol CM
- Lactitol MC
Print Version
Candles
Paper,