Your guide to different sweeteners in food production
As one of the UK’s leading distributors of quality food ingredients, we’ll help simplify your decision-making when choosing sweeteners.
Modern sweeteners allow people to indulge their sweet tooth without overdoing the calories. At Airedale Food & Beverage, we stock a wide range of natural and synthetic sweeteners which are used in many food and beverages including cereals, fruit juices, deserts and seasonings.
Different types of sweeteners used in the food and drink industry
As consumers become more health-conscious and nutrition-savvy, healthier ingredients are seeing increasing demand. Which sweetener is most suitable for my business?
Stevia
One which has long been present in consumer diets as a sugar alternative is stevia. Intensely sweet, it is naturally derived from the stevia rebaudiana plant, which remains stable at various temperatures and pH ranges and is used in the manufacture of food and beverage by some of the biggest companies in the world.
The active ingredients, steviol glycosides, are not metabolised by the body so contain zero calories, which is a major selling point for manufacturers catering for today’s market where tasty, low-sugar products are expected and has become commonly used to sweeten tea and coffee.
Being 150 times sweeter than sugar, only a small amount is required to have the same impact so it’s a cost-effective option and its versatility makes it a popular ingredient in ice cream, cereals, confectionery and baked goods. It’s low glycaemic index and zero calorie content means it is also ideal for diabetics and customers on a calorie-controlled diet.
Our stevia is supplied as a fine white powder in 25kg bags.
Sucralose
Those looking to extend their use-by dates may turn to the synthetic properties of sucralose, commonly known by the brand name Splenda, which is 320–1,000 times sweeter than sucrose and so a highly economical way to sweeten low calorie products such as diet drinks and sugar-free confectionery.
As it is not broken down by the body, it can be safely used in diabetic products as it won’t affect insulin levels.
We can supply sucralose in 25kg boxes of white to off-white, odourless powder, which is unaffected by most temperatures and many pH ranges, across the country and into Europe.
Agave
In contrast to the man-made flavour of sucralose, agave syrup is derived from the agave plant, native to Mexico and other hot countries like South Africa which allow the plant to grow naturally.
It is 40-60 times sweeter than honey and not only provides a natural method of sweetening, but can also be used as a binding agent in breakfast cereals.
Our organic light syrup is made from 100% blue agave plant and is available in quantities from 25L to 1000L.
Many consider its taste to be superior to artificial sweeteners and is often used in cold drinks as it is easily dissolved but it is also widely used in sweet dairy goods, dressings and baked goods and is suitable for vegan recipes.
Aspartame
In contrast to the naturally-occurring agave, aspartame is an artificial, non-saccharide sweetener. Customers use it in small quantities for zero sugar soft drinks, sugar-free chewing gum, jellies and fruit juices.
It is less likely to be used in baked goods as it is more unstable at high temperatures than other sweeteners like stevia or sucralose, but its use in food stuffs has been proven to reduce the calorie intake of both adults and children and is approved by the FDA, European Food Safety Authority and in more than 100 countries.
Our aspartame comes in 25kg bags of white odourless crystalised powder, which can be delivered to the UK or Europe via our independently-owned fleet of vehicles.
Rigest: leading supplier and distributor of sweeteners to all industries
Still looking for a helping hand deciding which sweetener is right for you? Simply get in touch with our team of product experts through our contact page, by emailing enquiries@airedalechemical.co.uk or by phoning 01535 286 853.
Since 1993, we have been leading suppliers of quality ingredients solutions for the food, beverage, healthcare, sports nutrition, animal feed and pet food sectors. Explore our full range of sweeteners, available with fast distribution across the UK.
