Lesys™
Lesys™
Lesys™
Reduced calorie and highly versatile with the full sugar taste.
Information
Today’s generation is seriously concerned – and well informed – about the range of health issues confronting them and their families. When it comes to nutrition, they want to make the healthiest, the safest and the best choices for themselves and their children.
The problems that trouble them most are obesity, tooth decay, the consequences of industrialisation in food production and the environmental impact of the food they feed their families.
Now there is an alternative to sugar that is lower in calories, is low GI, is safe for teeth, inhibits tooth decay, is derived from a non-GM non-allergen plant source and is manufactured using environmentally friendly production processes… Lesys®TM
WHAT EXACTLY IS LESYS™?
Lesys™ crystalline Maltitol is a polyol sweetener that is naturally sweet and can be used to replace sugar in a wide range of applications. Produced from renewable non-GM tapioca, it has a variety of health benefits.
Manufactured by Mitsubishi Corporation Life Sciences Limited (MCLS) in their state of the art plant in Thailand, Lesys™ is crystalline Maltitol, a versatile ingredient used globally across a wide variety of applications that include chewing gum, confectionery, bakery, dairy and ice cream. Mitsubishi has a long history in food ingredients and in polyol manufacturing specifically and was the first company to produce crystalline Maltitol on a commercial scale in the early 1980s. This has provided a depth of experience which has enabled MCLS to tune into the needs of manufacturers and consumers around the world.
INNOVATION
THE COMPETITIVE EDGE
In today’s fast moving world, MCLS is committed to co-operating with its partners to develop nutritionally enhanced foods and beverages with excellent taste and flavour profiles. MCLS supports its clients’ work through the integration of technical support with nutritional and physiological expertise as well as a broad understanding of the regulatory, labelling and consumer environments prevailing in the markets in which it operates.
Of all the polyols, the properties of Lesys™ crystalline Maltitol are closest to those of sucrose.
Variation over time upon oral pH after consumption of Sucrose and Maltitol using an in dwelling oral electrode.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Non-Cariogenic
Lesys™ actively inhibits tooth decay because it is resistant to metabolism by harmful oral bacteria such as streptococcus mutans which break down the sugars which would produce the acids that lead to demineralisation of the tooth enamel and subsequently to tooth decay itself.
Toothfriendly
Toothfriendly International is a non-profit organisation that provides a logo and programme that validates the dental safety of confectionery products. Products are tested at recognised dental institutes to ensure that they do not cause any or only a negligible drop in oral pH after which successful products can join the programme and use the consumer recognised logo. Confectionery or other products sweetened with Maltitol and in the absence of any other acidogenic ingredients would pass the Toothfriendly test.
Reduced Calorie
In common with other polyol sweeteners, Lesys™ has a lower caloric value than sugar because it is relatively poorly absorbed in the small intestine and the majority of its calorie value comes from fermentation and subsequent absorption in the large intestine. Food authorities around the world assign different caloric values to polyols.
In the EU, a single unitary value of 2.4kcal/g is applied to all polyols whereas in Japan 2.0kcal/g is applied and in the USA a marginally higher value of 2.1kcal/g is used. This results in a calorie saving of up to 50% in calories.
Low Glycaemic Index
Lesys™ is a low-glycaemic sweetener with a GI of 36 and which is metabolised independently of insulin. It does not cause the sharp increase in blood sugar levels usually seen following the consumption of sugar or dextrose and its slow absorption is seen to be an advantage. This makes Lesys™ a sugar-free sweetener suitable for diabetics as well as the broader population interested in diet and a healthier lifestyle.
Lesys™ is a sugar-free sweetener suitable for diabetics as well as the broader population interested in diet and a healthier lifestyle.
PHYSIO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
The polyols all have different characteristics but, of all the polyols, the properties of Lesys™ crystalline Maltitol are closest to those of sucrose. Both are anhydrous disaccharides and are close to each other in terms of sweetness, molecular weight, solubility, hygroscopicity, humectancy and cooling effect.
Sweetness
Lesys™ crystalline Maltitol is 90% as sweet as sucrose, a characteristic which, along with its clean taste profile, assists easy reformulation from sucrose to Maltitol based recipes.
Stability
Lesys™, like all polyols, has high chemical and thermal stability and does not participate in the Maillard reaction which is generally perceived as an advantage. In some applications, such as bakery, where a Maillard effect is desirable, some further recipe changes may be necessary such as increasing cooking times or adding caramel colour.
Hygroscopicity
Lesys™ crystalline Maltitol is one of the least hygroscopic of the polyols and as such can be easily handled in most climates. This benefits the final product by reducing the necessity for complex packaging and by extending shelf life.
Cooling effect
Most polyols have a cooling effect or negative heat of solution which is noticeable upon dissolution in the mouth. In the case of Lesys™ crystalline Maltitol, this is very mild and not as distinctive as, for instance, sorbitol. Lesys™ is similar to sucrose which makes it an ideal candidate for use in milk and dark chocolate, a product format in which most polyols struggle to duplicate a full sugar like taste.
Solubility
The ability to dissolve a sweetener in water is one of the key attributes needed to manufacture many types of confectionery. Lesys™ crystalline Maltitol is readily soluble and has a profile similar to that of sucrose.
Viscosity
Lesys™ has a viscosity similar to that of sucrose which is to be expected since they have similar molecular weights.
Toleration
In common with other low digestible carbohydrates and fibres, polyols can cause gastro-intestinal discomfort such as flatulence and even diarrhoea if taken to excess. The dosage required to produce this effect varies by polyol, by body weight, by speed of consumption and individual sensitivity.
Regular consumption leads to increased tolerance. Generally, larger doses of Maltitol can be consumed than most other polyols.
In many cases, regulatory bodies have implemented labelling guidelines. For instance, in the EU, products containing more than 10% polyols are required to carry a laxative warning label on the product packaging.
MCLS is committed to co-operating with its partners to develop nutritionally enhanced foods and beverages with excellent taste and flavour profiles.
PRODUCTION OF MALTITOL
Lesys™ crystalline Maltitol is produced from
a non-GM plant source at MCLS’s dedicated state of the art plant in Thailand. The starting material is predominantly tapioca starch which is enzymatically saccharified to a high maltose syrup and is then hydrogenated and separated into Maltitol syrup. After crystallisation and drying high purity Lesys™ is produced and packed into a variety of final packages and product grades.
Throughout the process, a quality management system is implemented conforming to strict Japanese quality control systems. The plant also has ISO9001 (SGS 2006) certification, runs HACCP and FSSC 22000 GMP production protocols in production, and production is certified Kosher and Halal.
SAFETY
Numerous regional and international organisations have confirmed the safety of crystalline Maltitol. JECFA (Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives / World Health Organisation) have reviewed the safety data and concluded that Maltitol is safe. JECFA has established an acceptable daily intake (ADI) for Maltitol of ‘not specified’ which means that no limits are placed on its use which is the safest categorisation possible. In the EU, the Scientific Committee for Food concluded that Maltitol is acceptable for use also without setting a limit on its use and in the USA, Maltitol has self-affirmed GRAS (Generally Recognised as Safe) status.
LEGAL STATUS
Lesys™ crystalline Maltitol is permitted for use
in food and pharmaceuticals in most countries including all the key markets. In the EU, Maltitol is approved in EU Directive No.1129/2011. In the USA, its GRAS petition was accepted by the FDA in 1986.
Its use is permitted as a food additive in the Mercosur countries of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay under resolution number 101/94.
In Japan, Lesys™ is permitted and categorised as a food; in China and South Korea Maltitol is approved as a food additive for use in a wide variety of foods.
Application
Lesys™ crystalline Maltitol’s good taste, high sweetness, reduced calorie level, non-cariogenicity and similarity to sugar commend its use across a broad spectrum of food, non-food and industrial applications.
Lesys™ enables the confectioner to make the highest quality hard coating on chewing gum and other confectionery forms.
Confectionery
Chocolate
Lesys™ is widely used in No Added Sugar/Sugar Free chocolate. As a disaccharide, it has a similar taste profile to the sucrose it replaces and its high sweetness, non-cooling taste and good tolerance enable the chocolatier to produce a high quality end product.
Coating
Lesys™ enables the confectioner to make the highest quality hard coating on chewing gum and other confectionery forms. High sweetness, good solubility and low hygroscopicity, together with a process that is similar to that of sugar coating, combine to produce the crunchiest and most durable coating of all the polyols. For that reason, Maltitol is generally recognised as the gold standard of coating polyols.
Chewing Gum
High sweetness, dental benefits, solubility and good flavour release combine to make LesysTM an ideal sweetener in sugar-free chewing gum. It is often combined with other polyols to optimise the gum’s characteristics.
Candy
High sweetness, dental benefits, solubility and good flavour release combine to make LesysTM a useful ingredient in a variety of sugar free confectionery forms.
Bakery & Cereal Bars
Lesys™ crystalline Maltitol can be used in a variety of sweet and savoury bakery and bar forms to capitalise on its healthy and beneficial characteristics. As it is similar to sugar in so many ways, replacement is relatively straight forward. However, as Maltitol does not participate in the Maillard reaction, the resultant baked goods will be less brown than the sugar standard.
Dairy & Frozen Desserts
Lesys™ crystalline Maltitol is used in a wide variety of dairy products from ice cream to cultured drinking yogurts where its combination of sugar- like taste, high sweetness, similar molecular weight to sucrose and solubility provide a range of suitable characteristics for this application. It has a freezing point depression similar to that of sucrose which makes it an ideal ingredient with which to manage final product texture.
Pharma
Lesys™ crystalline Maltitol is a versatile widely approved high purity excipient which provides both sweetness and bulk in a wide range of OTC, pharma and nutraceutical product formulations.
Spreads & Specialities
Lesys™ crystalline Maltitol can be used in chocolate and hazelnut spreads to replace sugar and create reduced sugar versions of these popular but highly caloric favourites. As Lesys™ is so versatile and similar to sugar in so many ways substitution is quite straightforward. Other high sugar regional specialities such as marzipan and halva can also benefit from Lesys™ crystalline Maltitol’s good taste, sweetness, good flavour release, low G.I. and calorie reduction.
