Trehalose is a multifunctional compound made up of two glucose molecules. From a chemical standpoint, Trehalose is a non-reducing sugar, a disaccharide that is widely found in nature. Trehalose is best known for its functional properties in the food industry.
It also has certain health benefits associated with it. Trehalose started its journey to becoming a super ingredient in Japan in 1994 when the Japanese food ingredient company Hayashibara Co., Ltd. developed an innovative way to produce trehalose from starch and then marketed it commercially. Ever since then, Trehalose has been used in the food industry extensively.
Trehalose helps to prolong the shelf life of food, protects food from drying out, prevents starch-containing food from going stale, and prevents veggies and fruits from discoloring. The impeccable functional properties of Trehalose make it an excellent food ingredient for a wide range of food processing industries.
Natural Occurrence of Trehalose
Nature has a vast variety of sources of trehalose. Some of the sources of Trehalose include mushrooms, honey, shellfish, yeast, and many more. Different organisms have trehalose present in them in different concentrations or quantities. The most common dietary source of Trehalose in nature is mushrooms also known as fungal Trehalose. Mushrooms contain approximately 10-25% of Trehalose by its dry weight.
Properties of Trehalose
Trehalose is attracting attention in the food industry attributing to its remarkable functional properties. Its wide range of properties makes it a prized component in the realm of food ingredients. Some of the major properties of Trehalose are discussed below.
1. Anti-staling property:
Trehalose plays a key role in protecting baked goods like bread, buns, cakes, muffins, cookies, etc, owing to its ability to retain moisture intact in the food product. Its anti-staling property helps it to work as a preservative in various food products like cookies, paranthas, noodles, macaroni, etc.
2. Water Retention Property:
Trehalose has an exceptionally strong water-holding capacity. As a result, trehalose can help to lock moisture in different food products, therefore protecting them against undesirable moisture loss.
Trehalose can help lock the bound water in food. Trehalose binds to the free water present in food making it unavailable for microorganisms, therefore inhibiting the growth of bacteria. Trehalose works as a humectant and thus helps extend the shelf life of food products like chapati, bread, momos, etc.
3. Stabilizing Property:
Trehalose is an extremely stable non-reducing sugar. As it is a non-reducing sugar it inhibits intrinsic Maillard reactions during the processing of food products as well as during storage of dried food products. Trehalose also helps to stabilize the texture of food products like bread and cookies. When added to foods before drying, trehalose prevents the loss of aromatic volatiles that give foods their characteristic aromas and flavors.
4. Cryoprotactant property:
Trehalose suppresses ice crystal formation in frozen foods thus preserving the structural integrity of the food during freezing. Trehalose for frozen foods helps to enhance its shelf life. Freeze damage of the food product occurs due to freeze-induced dehydration that increases solute concentration.
Trehalose being a cryoprotectant inhibits the undesirable textural change in food products like frozen flat bread, frozen dumplings, ice cream, etc. Trehalose is used for a wide range of applications like Trehalose for frozen foods.
5. Health Benefits of Trehalose:
Trehalose is a miracle sugar that helps stabilize the blood sugar level in the body, making it a healthy option for diabetic people. Thus, being a low-calorie sugar, Trehalose helps maintain a healthy weight.
Another health benefit of Trehalose is that it reduces inflammation of cells of our body. Thus consumption of trehalose boosts the immunity of the body. Food products that are dried after the addition of trehalose contain less toxic maillard byproducts. Therefore such dried food products have higher nutritional content.
Recent Scientific Developments
Scientific research has proven the ability of trehalose to protect biomolecules like carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins against damage due to water loss. Trehalose also has a protein stabilization ability, this property is especially helpful in enhancing the shelf life of protein-rich food products.
Applications of Trehalose in the Food Industry
Trehalose is used in various sectors of the food industry to enhance stability, extend shelf life, and improve the quality of the food product. Following are some common applications of trehalose in the food industry:
1. Baked Goods:
Trehalose helps prevent the bread from becoming dry and stale, therefore making the bread a softer and more appealing texture. In cookies, trehalose helps control the crystallization process, leading to a softer and chewier texture. Trehalose plays a role in maintaining the desired moisture content and thus contributes to enhancing the texture and shelf life of the cookies. Similarly in cakes, trehalose helps to maintain the freshness, sponginess, and texture of the cake.
2. Confectionery:
Trehalose helps maintain the smoothness and creaminess of chocolate, preventing the formation of undesirable sugar crystals. Additionally, trehalose contributes to moisture retention, along with preventing undesirable Maillard browning. In candies and gummies, trehalose acts as a humectant, therefore retaining moisture and preventing it from becoming too dry. It also protects the flavor and aroma of these products.
3. Frozen Products:
Trehalose is used in various frozen products for texture preservation and freeze-thaw stability. Trehalose for frozen foods helps to improve its freeze-thaw ability. Trehalose is often used in ice cream formulations to prevent ice crystal formation and texture prevention. Trehalose also improves freeze-thaw stability and, therefore reduces the development of a gritty texture during storage. Trehalose also enhances desirable mouthfeel.
4. Frozen Dough Products:
Trehalose is used in the preparation of frozen dough for bread, and rolls. trehalose improves freeze-thaw stability and maintains the dough’s texture. This ensures that the frozen dough has desirable characteristics, such as softness and fluffiness.
5. Beverages:
Trehalose is widely used in nutritional beverages to maintain quality, stability, and sensory attributes by masking off notes. Trehalose contributes to a smooth and creamy mouthfeel therefore enriching the overall sensory experience, masking any lingering off-flavors.
The Current Outlook of the Trehalose Market
In recent years, the demand for trehalose has increased remarkably, predominantly because of its applications as a functional ingredient and natural sweetener. Trehalose is gaining popularity among health-conscious and aware consumers due to its low sweetness.
As of now, North America dominates the trehalose market. It is anticipated that this demand will grow rapidly.
Potential Application of Trehalose in the Future
The Future of the trehalose market is promising, and expected to continue to grow in the coming years. As consumers are becoming more aware of health and wellness, and the demand for natural and clean-label ingredients is increasing the trehalose market is expanding.
Impact of Trehalose on the Global Landscape
Trehalose has now been accepted as a novel food ingredient under the GRAS terms in the U.S. and the EU. Continuous research for exploring new applications of trehalose is expected to further increase market growth.
Trehalose is gaining popularity in some functional foods and nutraceuticals for its potential health benefits. Overall, it is anticipated that the trehalose market will grow exponentially in the future owing to the diverse applications of trehalose in the food industry.
The research and development has a high possibility to unlock additional applications and functionalities of trehalose therefore influencing the global food technology landscape.
Conclusion
Trehalose has evolved as a multifaceted player in the food industry, owing to its lasting impact on shelf life, and consumer satisfaction. The unique properties of Trehalose, like moisture retention, texture enhancement, and flavor protection, have made trehalose a sought-after ingredient in various food applications.
Trehalose is used in various applications like Trehalose for frozen foods, ice creams, breads, etc. As innovation continues, trehalose has the power of natural ingredients to meet the diverse needs of consumers while maintaining the highest standards of quality of the food product.
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