Sweeteners in confectionery industry

Današnja proizvodnja prehrambenih proizvoda nezamisliva je bez uporabe aditiva. U moru aditiva koji se mogu koristiti, veliku važnost imaju sladila, koja su neizostavna prvenstveno u proizvodnji gaziranih pića i konditorskih proizvoda. Saharoza je od davnina poznata kao najčešće upotrebljavani šećer u kućanstvu i u industriji. Međutim, u današnje vrijeme ljudi i industrija posežu za alternativnim prirodnim i umjetnim šećerima, što zbog boljih tehnoloških svojstava, tako i zbog manje nutritivne i kalorijske vrijednosti. Tijekom godina vodile su se brojne znanstvene rasprave vezane uz konzumaciju alternativnih sladila i njihov negativan utjecaj na ljudsko zdravlje. Prvenstveno su to bila intenzivna, nenutritivna, kemijskom sintezom dobivena sladila kao što su acesulfam K, aspartam, saharin i ciklamat. Za vrijeme nestašice šećera osim umjetnih sladila, veliki procvat doživjela su i sladila dobivena hidrolizom škroba. Ova sladila imaju veću kalorijsku vrijednost od nenutritivnih sladila, ali se dobivaju iz prirodnih sirovina kao što je škrob iz kukuruza, krumpira i pšenice. Najpoznatiji hidrolizati škroba su glukozni sirup, fruktozni sirup i maltozni sirup. Zakonskim propisima regulira se korištenje ovih aditiva u prehrambenoj industriji i zbog toga nema straha od štetnog utjecaja na ljudsko zdravlje. Sigurno je da će se ovaj aditiv i dalje konzumirati, upotrebljavati i istraživati, no do otkrića novih sladila ili možda zabrane postojećih, ljudi će nedvojbeno uživati u njihovom slatkom okusu. Cilj ovoga rada je dati pregled sladila koja se koriste u prehrambenoj industriji.The present production of food products is unthinkable without the use of additives. In a sea of additives that can be used, sweeteners have great importance, which are primarily unavoidable in production of soft drinks and confectionary product. Sucrose is known as the most commonly used sugar in the household and in industry. However, today people and industries reach for the alternative natural and artificial sweeteners, partly because of better technological properties and because of less nutritional and caloric value. Over the years, numerous scientific discussions were led, related to the consumption of alternative sweeteners and their negative impact on human health. Primarily those were intense, unnutritious sweeteners, obtained by chemical synthesis, such as acesulfame K, aspartame, saccharin and cyclamate. Due to the shortages of sugar,in addition to artificial sweeteners, sweeteners obtained by hydrolysis of starch have experienced big boom. These sweeteners have bigger caloric value than non-nutritive sweeteners, but they are also derived fro mnatural raw material ssuch as corn, potato and wheat starch. The most famous are glucose syrup, fructose syrup and maltose syrup. Legal regulations regulate the use of these additives in the food industry and therefore there is no fear of adverse effecton human health. It is sure that consumption of this additive will be continued, as well as its usage and exploration. Untill discovery of new sweeteners or perhaps ban ofexisting, people will undoubtedly enjoy their sweet flavour. The aim of this thesis is to give overview of sweeteners commonly used in confectionary industry