Sweeteners, whether classified as natural or artificial, have long been prized for their mouth-pleasing ‘sugar’ taste, but they have many other functions in cooking and baking.

Natural sweeteners exist in many forms, and can be found widely in nature, particularly in fruit products. Purified natural sweeteners are usually derived from sugar cane, sugar beet or corn syrup.

Artificial sweeteners provide a ‘sugar’ taste and have been produced as low-calorie sugar substitutes that may assist in weight management, prevention of dental decay and control of blood glucose for diabetics.

Natural Sweeteners

The simplest forms of natural sweetener are the monosaccharides, usually consisting of five carbon rings (such as fructose) or a six-carbon ring (such as glucose).

Disaccharides, like sucrose, consist of two monosaccharides, for example, fructose and glucose.

Herbasweet and Herbarom

Herbasweet and Herbarom are natural sweeteners made from de-juiced apples; they have the characteristic sugar profile found in apples.

Herbasweet contains minimal sucrose and has a very high level of fructose and Sorbitol, which are generally recognised as diabetic sweeteners. With increased focus on Glycemic Index, these products can be used to reduce the GI of a final food product. They also have the advantage of being made from apples, low acidity and good colour, with a label-friendly listing.

Herbarom has a similar sugar profile to Herbasweet with the added natural fruit acids, minerals and secondary plant substances of apples, such as polyphenols.

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