The Natural Side of Sweetness

There are many other natural sweeteners available to the consumer today. These products are also available to food manufacturers looking to avoid the concerns associated with high fructose corn syrups and those of refined sugar. These sweeteners include, but are not limited to, organic sugar and sugar in the raw, fruit juices, honey, maple syrup, molasses, evaporated cane juice, rice syrup and brown rice syrup, barley malt, tapioca syrup, wheat and oat syrup, and agave nectar. However, these forms of sweeteners are more costly than and not as available as corn sweeteners. Corn sweeteners account for more that 55% of the US sweetener market.

So let’s break down the facts on these other types of sugars. Commonly used refined sugar is considered to be less nutritious than whole unrefined sugar. Minimally processed sugars contain more nutrients and molasses than the typical heavily processed refined white sugar.

Evaporated Cane Juice s made by crushing sugar cane, extracting the juices and washing out the molasses. The liquid is then evaporated until sugar crystals remain.

Molasses is a thick syrup that is the by-product of processing sugarcane or sugar beet into sugar. The quality of molasses depends on the maturity of the sugar cane or beet, the amount of sugar extracted, and the method of extraction. Sugar cane molasses and sugar beet molasses differ in thickness, color and nutrients.

Sucanat is the acronym for SUgar CAne NATural, and is the registered trademark of Wholesome Sweeteners, Inc. It's made by crushing freshly cut sugar cane, extracting the juice and heating it in a large vat. When the juices are reduced to a rich, dark syrup, it is hand-paddled to cool and dry the syrup. This creates the dry porous granules called Sucanat. It contains 100% of the cane's natural molasses.

Grain based sweeteners other than corn, consist of rice, barley, wheat and oat syrups. Rice is the most common and can be found in many soy-based products because it cuts the beany flavor of the soy. It is typically among the first ingredients of energy bars. Barley malt, wheat and oat syrups are derived by a special process where the grains are milled, cooked with water and an added enzyme known as amylase. The starches are broken down into sugars, creating a syrup. A company called Meurens Natural has patented a process called Sipal where the syrups and powders are derived from the hydrolyses of the starch from grains. No chemical additives or resins are used and the process is completely organic. These syrups are used in many baked goods and confections where the companies using them are trying to maintain a "wholesome goodness image".

Tapioca syrup is newer to the market and is a syrup made from tapioca starch. It has a neutral taste and color, and a longer shelf life than other grain based sweeteners because it contains no proteins.

Probably the least familiar sugar alternative on the market is agave nectar. Sweet, mild nectar made from the core of the blue agave plant has a low glycemic index making it a good alternative for those looking to lower their blood sugar. It is sweeter than sugar, so you use less, and it is non-crystallizing and quick dissolving.

Honey is a golden syrup naturally made in the hives of bees. It is composed of fructose, glucose and water along with trace enzymes, minerals, vitamins and amino acids. The color and flavor of honey differs depending on the area the honey is harvested and the source of the nectar. Bees may travel up to 55,000 miles and visit more than two million flowers to gather enough nectar to make a pound of honey. There are more the 300 distinctive kinds of honey in the US. Honey is also supposed to have medicinal properties. Holistically it is said to aide as a cough suppressant and in building a tolerance to pollen related allergies.

Maple syrups are derived from sapping maple trees during a time of year when it is freezing at night and warm during the day. This causes the sap to flow. The sap is collected and then boiled, removing the water content and resulting in a concentrated syrup. This process is called sugaring. It is an all-natural process, nothing is added and nothing but water is removed. Once the syrup has finished with the sugaring process, it is taste tested and color graded, to determine which of the Vermont grades will be put on the label: Fancy, Medium Amber, Dark Amber, or B.

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