Magnesia Xylitol

Introduction

Xylitol from Magnesia is a healthy sweetener that can replace sugar in drinks and foodstuffs. The name derives from the Greek xylon meaning “wood” denoting its presence in plant fibers. Xylitol is a naturally occurring 5-carbon sugar alcohol, approximating sucrose in sweetness but with 33 per cent fewer calories. Whereas one gram of sugar contains 3.87 kilocalories (kcal), agram of xylitol contains only 2.4 kcal.

Characteristics

Xylitol’s chemistry and form exhibits seven clear characteristics that each delivers identifiable user benefits:

No fermentation: Xylitol is anti-carcinogenic because it can’t be uses by buccal cariogenic bacteria and thus prevents the growth of bacteria and acids.
High solubility: Xylitol is water-soluble and when eaten promotes a pleasant cool and fresh sensation owing to its high endothermic character I solution.
Sweetness: Xylitol tastes as sweet as sucrose at normal temperatures.
Stabilizes blood glucose level: Xylitol’s metabolism in the human body does not involve insulin and will not raise blood glucose levels.
Chemical stability: Xylitol is highly heat resistant, passive to acids and alkalis and will not react on aminophenol or proteins.
Low moisture activeness: Xylitol’s moisture activity is lower than sorbitol, facilitating preservation of foods.
Heat of solution: Xylitol can absorb more heat than sorbitol during solution.

Applications and benefits

Xylitol has virtually no aftertaste, and is advertised as safe for diabetics and individuals with hyperglycemia.

This tolerance is attributed to the lower effect of xylitol on a person’s blood sugar, compared to that of regular sugars as it has an extremely low glycemic index (GI) equivalent to just of 7 per cent of glucose. Unlike table sugars, xylitol does not cause abrupt rise in blood sugar and does not promote insulin resistance. These characteristics make xylitol an ideal alternative sweetener for diabetics or weight watchers.

Xylitol has no known toxicity or carcinogenicity and can be classified on labels as a carbohydrate. It has been used in foods since the 1960s and is FDA-approved for use in unlimited quantities as an additive in foods with special dietary purposes and as safe for use in any sugar-limited diet.

Unlike other natural or synthetic sweeteners, xylitol is actively beneficial for dental health. It has been shown to reducecavitiesby more than 60 per cent in regular use and helpful to re-mineralizing deeper layers of tooth enamel. Evidence has also been found that xylitol consumed as chewing gum, lozenges or nasal spray can reduce middle ear infections in healthy children.

Thus Xylitol is widely used across a range of food and pharmaceuticals, including:

• Gum and mints
• Confectionery
• Table sugar and sweeteners
• Soft drinks
• Bakery products and desserts
• Oral hygiene mouthwashes and toothpastes
• Pharmaceuticals
• Cosmetics

Production

Xylitolcan be sourced from various berries, oats, and mushrooms, as well as fibrous material such as corn husks, sugar cane orbirch wood.

Industrial production is based on xylan, a hemicellulose extract from hardwoods or corncobs, which is hydrolyzed into xylose, before being catalytically hydrogenated into xylitol. This converts the sugar (an aldehyde) into a primary alcohol.

The finished Xylitol has a white crystallized powder form.

Product portfolio

Magnesia GmbH supplies Xylitolas a food and a pharmaceutical grade in five principal forms:

1. Crystal grade
2. Milled grade
3. DC Grade

Each of these forms is available in 25kg, 200kg, 600kg, and 1000kg packages. Customer-specified package sizes are also available.

Packages are certified safe and stable for storage for 24 months.

Products can be supplied with documentation to attest production purity and quality, with official EFSA safety data also available. All products are certified to ISO and HACCP standards.

Resources

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Supplier Information
Supplier: Magnesia GmbH
Address: Max-Jenne-Str. 2-4 in 21337 Lüneburg, Germany
Tel: +49 4131 8710 0
Fax: +49 4131 8710 55
Website: www.magnesia.de/