Allulose is a novel sugar which is currently making its way through the novel foods process in order to gain its approval to be able to be sold in the EU.
Allulose has been on sale in the US since 2012 and has been approved by the US FDA for some time for its inclusion in foods and beverages, however, its approval has taken a long time in the EU to get the sugar approved.
German researchers which published a study in Nature journal noted that Allulose has real potential to meet consumers’ needs in the EU, as when replacing sugar with sweeteners or different forms of sugar then taste is one of the most important factors that consumers do not wish to compromise on, followed by its glycaemic effect on the blood and insulin, price, dental health and calorie content.
One of the main advantages of Allulose used as a sugar alternative is that it has what is often described as a ‘typical sugar taste’ in which consumers find similar to traditional sugar in food and beverages.
Another main benefit is that Allulose is commonly found in figs, kiwis and raisins and could be termed a more ‘natural’ alternative to typical traditional sweeteners which many consumers note are trying to cut back on regarding their food additive intake.
Some major sugar businesses and the German authorities have noted that the approval of allulose by the EU is not far off into the future and we could see it being used as a sugar substitute very soon in foods and beverages.
