Many people have heard of low-calorie sweeteners, from aspartame to sucralose to stevia. But there’s a new source of sweet on the block – allulose. This low calorie sugar has a similar taste to regular sugar but with 90% fewer calories. The safety of allulose has been confirmed in the US, as it is Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) as a food ingredient by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
With fewer calories than regular sugar, allulose can be used in reduced-sugar products while helping to maintain the sweet taste many consumers have come to expect from certain food and beverage products. While allulose may not yet be present in many products on store shelves, you will soon be able to find the ingredient in a number of different product applications, including carbonated beverages, pastries, confectionary products and candies, yogurt, frozen desserts, salad dressings, jams, chewing gum and pudding.
And as mentioned, with fewer calories than sugar, consuming products made with allulose will help those trying to lose or manage their weight. Allulose also has a similar texture to regular sugar without all the calories. The ingredient is not completely metabolized in the body which helps it to remain practically calorie-free. This quality also means that there is no impact on blood glucose or insulin levels.
For more information on the benefits and possible applications for allulose, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.