Xylitol: An alternative sweetener for dairy products

In recent years, the production of xylitol, a naturally occurring vecarbon sugar alcohol (alditol), has increased owing to its commercial application in a range of food, dental, and pharmaceutical products. e demand for xylitol is ever increasing, and the current global market size for xylitol is around 125,000 tons per annum, which is met through the chemical hydrogenation of xylose, obtained from the hemicellulosic fraction of corn cobs and/or other lignocellulosic feedstock (Rao et al. 2012). e sustained market growth, value, and 25.1 Introduction 673 25.2 Xylitol Applications in Weight Control, Diabetes, and Dentistry 675 25.3 Xylitol in the Dairy Industry 678 25.3.1 Sweetened Milk 678 25.3.2 Cheese 678 25.3.3 Ice Cream 679 25.3.4 Yogurt 679 25.3.5 Dadih 680 25.3.6 Milk Chocolate 680 25.4 Pharmaceutical Applications and Confectionery Ingredient 680 25.4.1 Xylitol Is Eective 681 25.4.2 Xylitol Is Safe 682 25.5 Conclusion 683 References 683 versatility contribute to xylitol being one of the top-10 molecules derived from lignocellulosic bioreneries (Bozell 2008).