Rare sugars attract interest as functional ingredients

Rare 'pharmaceutical' sugars from birch and beech wood could be the next big opportunity in functional food ingredients, said sweeteners giant Danisco.

At a conference hosted by RSSL last month, Danisco business director Dr Juho Jumppanen said one sugar in particular, D-mannose, was attracting considerable interest. That was because of its ability to fight urinary tract infections (UTIs) such as cystitis.

"This is potentially a very exciting market opportunity, as a large percentage of women suffer from UTIs. Research suggests D-mannose is even more powerful than cranberries or antibiotics," he added. "I could see this being added to a cranberry juice drink for added punch. Some US companies are already using it to formulate drinks."

Another sugar also derived from a by-product of the xylitol production process is L-fucose, which is sold as a dietary supplement in Japan, said Jumppanen. "Several rare sugars such as L-fucose and D-mannose are essential building blocks of glycoproteins that are believed to be key to the body's ability to fight infections and cancer. However, far more research needs to be done to establish the mechanisms of action behind these ingredients."

He said other sugars that warranted further study included plant-derived L-arabinose and D-galactose, the former with some interesting sports nutrition applications and the latter combined with L-fucose and D-mannose in infant formula.

Danisco, which recently expanded its factory in Austria to meet increasing demand for tooth-friendly sweetener xylitol, said growing awareness of its benefits should drive its wider use.