DESC:
TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention generally relates to the food industry. Most precisely, the present invention relates to a plant-based sweetener composition with low glycemic index that provides a taste near identical to conventional sweeteners while causing no blood sugar spike in the body, and a method of preparing the same using different plant extracts thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Sugar, chemically known as Sucrose, is a disaccharide that is composed of glucose and fructose. It is easily absorbed by the body followed by quick hydrolysis. Because of the nature of sugar, it is beneficial for hypoglycemic shock or fatigue recovery of diabetics when their energy is exhausted as the energy can be replenished speedily. Though, if there is an excessive intake of sugar, it leads to a spike of blood sugar levels. Further, extra calories are converted into fat that get accumulated in various parts of the body causing obesity, diabetes and other metabolic disorders. Lately, the use of sugar for various purposes has increased drastically such as for food processing, food preservation, brewing, and in confectioneries and beverages. This has led to ill effects in a large number of people due to their excessive sugar intake.
In order to solve this problem, several research are being constantly made to identify alternative sweeteners that can provide similar sensory satisfaction, are low on glycemic index scale, and are difficult to absorb so that there is no effect on blood sugar levels. Alternative sweeteners or sugar substitutes are the food additives that are used to replace the sugar in the foods. The alternative sweeteners are low or zero calorie sweeteners which impart the similar sweetening property in the foods as that of sugar but with calorie reduction and low spike in blood glucose levels, which is very essential for the people suffering from diabetes.
Various alternative sweeteners are available in the market in different forms like tablets, powder and liquid. Each alternative sweetener is assigned a different glycemic index based on their glucose spiking property. They are either extracted from natural food sources or developed in the lab chemically. Some of the artificial sweeteners include aspartame, saccharin, cyclamate, sucralose, acesulfame K, etc. However, artificial sweeteners have been recently found to cause severe health issues in the long run such as leukemia, headache, breast cancer, addictive disease, etc.
On the other hand, naturally occurring sugar substitutes are considered to be healthy with no or very low side effects. Some of the natural sweeteners include stevia, monk fruit extract, fructooligosaccharides, polyols, etc. Polyols are the group of sugar alcohol molecules having different levels of sweetness. They include erythritol, maltitol, sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, mannitol and isomalt. Polyols are absorbed gradually in the small intestine and have little effect on blood sugar. Similarly, oligosaccharides are low in absorption so they can be easily transported to the large intestine without being digested.
However, each sweetener cannot be used independently as such as they have their limitations. Each sugar substitute provides different levels of sweetness along with some additional effects like aftertaste, bitterness, cooling or warming effect upon consumption. For instance, erythritol produces an unnatural cooling taste, stevia has an extremely bitter and artificial taste, fructooligosachharide (FOS) is less sweetening in itself and its distribution and storage is inconvenient. Hence, instead of using individual sweeteners it is beneficial to make a blend of different sweeteners to balance and avoid the extra unwanted effects.
Thus, a need exists in the food industry to provide an alternative of sugar that is natural along with being low on Glycemic Index and provides satisfying taste overcoming the limitations of using the natural sweeteners on their own. The usage of natural low glycemic index alternate sweeteners would allow control over health issues related to the use of sugar.

OBJECTIVE OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide the composition of an alternative plant-based sweetener having low glycemic index.

It is further an object of the present invention to provide a method of preparation of an alternative plant-based sweetener having low glycemic index which provides sensory satisfaction.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a kit thereof, with all the important components and an instruction manual.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to solve the foregoing problem, an aspect of the present invention is to provide a composition for a plant-based sweetener having low glycemic index and a method of preparation for the same. The composition does not include any artificially synthesized components.

In an embodiment, the present invention discloses compositions for plant-based sweeteners comprising unique combinations of two or more natural sweeteners in specific ratios where the sweeteners can be erythritol, stevia, fructooligosaccharides or sorbitol,

wherein first combination gives a bakery sweetener having the ratio of Erythritol: FOS: Stevia equal to 5.5: 1 : 0.01
wherein second combination gives an ice cream sweetener having the ratio of Erythritol: FOS: Sorbitol: Stevia equal to 2:1:1:0.01
wherein third combination gives a cheesecake sweetener having the ratio of Erythritol: FOS: Stevia equal to 1:1.1:0.01;
wherein fourth combination gives a brownie sweetener having the ratio of Erythritol: FOS equal to 5.5:1.

In another embodiment, the glycemic index of the plant-based sweeteners is low. Lower the glycemic index, lower will be the increase in blood sugar level on consuming the sweetener.

In another embodiment, the calorie count of the plant-based sweeteners is low. Lower calorie counts relate to lower accumulation of fats in the body.

In another embodiment, the plant-based sweeteners do not have any after-taste or other undesirable effect.

In another embodiment, the present invention discloses a method of preparation of the plant-based sweeteners of the above-mentioned composition, comprising the steps of:
• The taste and texture requirement of the end product is researched and noted
• The right set of sweetener that will meet this requirement of the end product is identified
• All ingredients are brought to a mesh size of 80
• W.r.t the requirement of the end product, the ingredients are measured and blended
• In order to keep the sweetener blend moisture free, the blend is packed with nitrogen flushing in a sealed bag

In yet another embodiment, the present invention discloses a ready to use kit comprising all the important ingredients of the said plant-based sweeteners as claimed in claim 1 along with the instruction manual. The kit will comprise of all the ingredients kept together in one package and making the process convenient and effective for the user.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Existing sweeteners like sugar, jaggery are high on the glycemic index scale and the products to which they are added are very high GI, which means that they will negatively impact the consumer’s health in the long run. The glycemic index of sucrose is 65 which is not good for diabetic patients. Foods with a high GI may cause rapid spikes in blood sugar levels, while low-GI foods lead to slower, more gradual increases. For individuals with diabetes, maintaining stable blood sugar levels is crucial. Consuming a diet that focuses on low-GI foods may help in achieving better blood sugar control. Thus, sweetener blends with low glycemic index may be advantageous for diabetic patients.
Reduced sugar blends still have added sugars in them (e.g., Dextrose, HFCS etc.), leading to a higher GI ingredient.
Both of these existing solutions carry the inherent risk of causing a consumer’s blood sugar value to spike suddenly after consumption.
No added sweetener blends that exist are also composed of higher GI ingredients – to account for texture requirements of a wide range of products and compromise taste of the product they go into, as they are a one-size-fits-all.
The sweetener blend is carefully designed to use only those ingredients that are lowest on the glycemic index scale and as a result, have the lowest calories too (vs. Sugar’s GI of 65 and 4 Kcal per gram).
• Stevia – GI of 0, Calories - 0
• Erythritol – GI of 1, Calories – 0
• Fructooligosachharide – GI of 0, Calories – 2.1 per gram
• Sorbitol – GI of 3, Calories – 2.6 per gram
The invention is a specific, custom, proprietary blend that differs by the product category which it is designed for. If the above ingredients were to be used on their own, they would impart several texture, taste and health challenges.
Erythritol on its own in ice cream, would depress the freezing point of ice cream to a point where the ice cream freezes into a rock-solid mass. Stevia, used on its own, renders any product unpalatable owing to its bitter after-taste.
Sorbitol if used on its own in large quantities, causes a laxative effect and interferes with calcium absorption.
Some existing reduced sugar formulations typically market themselves as stevia, but use very high GI bulking agents, to mask the bitterness of stevia. The most popularly used bulking agents used in prior art:
• Maltodextrin – GI of 120
• Dextrose – GI of 110
• Even HFCS is used in other prior art, which is a known cause of a variety of health issues.
In an exemplary embodiment, the sweetener blend is prepared by mixing stevia, erythritol, fructoologosachharide, sorbitol are mixed in defined ratios and quantities alone or in combination thereof, the reduction in desired particle size is achieved by pulverization, the process is done at room temperature of 25-40oC and the blend is sieved through mesh with particle size 80 microns, 100 microns and 200 microns as per requirements, storing and packaging. The use of pulverization in preparing sweetener blend is advantageous as it not only prepares a uniform blend of the sweeteners but also brings flowability and brittleness in the sweetener blend which improves the taste and texture of the food in which it is used.
The sweetener blends are prepared in various combinations,
wherein first combination kit gives a bakery sweetener having the ratio of Erythritol: FOS: Stevia equal to 5.5: 1 : 0.01
wherein second combination kit gives an ice cream sweetener having the ratio of Erythritol: FOS: Sorbitol: Stevia equal to 2:1:1:0.01
wherein third combination kit gives a cheesecake sweetener having the ratio of Erythritol: FOS: Stevia equal to 1:1.1:0.01;
wherein fourth combination kit gives a brownie sweetener having the ratio of Erythritol: FOS equal to 5.5:1.
Invitro and invivo testing is done for sweetener blends for glucose level to test it for diabetic patients. The food products are selected from bakery products, cakes, cookies, biscuits, frozen desserts, icecreams, shakes, mocktails, sweets, pies, brownie.
The incorporation of sweetener blend in various food samples and invitro testing as given in table 1, clearly reveals that the synergistic effect of the various ratios of the combinations of the sweeteners in the blend give the glycemic index of the end product in the range from 54 to 59 which is lesser as compared to just sugar alone as an ingredient, whose Glycemic Index alone is more than 65. The lower glycemic index products thus developed, is more beneficial for the diabetic patients.
Table 1: Invitro testing of prepared sweetener blend in food samples
S.No Food Sample Estimated Glycemix Index (Invitro)
1 Almond Cookies Mix 58.9
2 Brownie Mix 54.3
3 Cookies Sweetener 54.2
4 Ginger cookies mix 59.86
5 Hazelnut sugar free chocolate 54.4

Further, invivo analysis of incorporation of sweetener blends prepared into various food products s given in Table 2, revealed that a food product with sugar showed a rise of 41 – 67 mg/dL glucose and the person remained out of the healthy blood sugar range for at least 18-68 min whereas incorporation of sweetener blend in various food products revealed 0 to 22mg/dL rise in glucose and the person remained in the safe range below 110 for long time post consumption.
Table 2: Invivo testing of prepared sweetener blend in food samples
Food product Initial Glucose levels (mg/dl) Time over target levels (min) Glucose change Glucose peak (mg/dl) Data Comparison
Gulab Jamun with Sugar 78 68 67 142 The product caused a 67 mg/dL rise glucose and remained out of the range for at least 68 min
Kala Jamun with Sweetener blend 98 0 7 105 The product caused a 7 mg/dL rise glucose and remained within the range after consumption
Motichoor laddu with sugar 81 18 41 122 The product caused a 41mg/dL rise glucose and remained out of the range for at least 18 min
Motichoor laddu with sweetener blend 96 15 18 114 The product caused a 15 mg/dL rise glucose and remained out of range for 15 min
Digestive Biscuit with Sugar 81 15 37 118 The product caused a 37mg/dL rise glucose and remained out of the range for at least 15 min
Almond Cookies with Sweetener Blend 95 0 2 97 The product caused a 2 mg/dL rise glucose and remained within the range for a long time post consumption
Sweetener blend Kaju Katli 83 0 6 89 The product caused minimum glucose change and remained in the range for long time
Sweetener blend Red Velvet cake 86 0 21 107 The product caused a 21mg/dL rise glucose and remained in the range for long time
Sweetener blend True chocolate ice cream 95 0 1 96 The product caused minimum glucose change and remained in the range for long time
Sweetener blend Truffle delight cake 76 0 22 98 The product caused a 22mg/dL rise glucose and remained in the range for long time
Sweetener blend King Alphonso ice cream 106 0 -5 101 The product caused minimum glucose change and remained in the range for long time

In another embodiment, the sweetener blends are more advantageous as given below:
1. The plant-based sweeteners disclosed in the present invention have low glycemic index.
2. The plant-based sweeteners disclosed in the present invention have low calories.
3. The plant-based sweeteners disclosed in the present invention have been derived from natural sources.
4. The plant-based sweeteners disclosed in the present invention have a sensory value equivalent to a regular sweetener.
,CLAIMS:1. A composition for sweetener blend with low glycemic index comprising of:
stevia, erythritol, fructoologosachharide (FOS), sorbitol in defined ratios as per food product alone or in combination thereof.
2. A composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sweetener in the ratio of Erythritol: FOS: Stevia equal to 5.5: 1 : 0.01.
3. A composition as claimed in claim 1, sweetener in the ratio of Erythritol: FOS: Sorbitol: Stevia equal to 2:1:1:0.01.
4. A composition as claimed in claim 1, sweeter in the ratio of Erythritol: FOS: Stevia equal to 1:1.1:0.01.
5. A composition as claimed in claim 1, sweetener in the ratio of Erythritol: FOS equal to 5.5:1.
6. A composition as claimed in claim 1, the food products are selected from bakery products, cakes, cookies, biscuits, frozen desserts, icecreams, shakes, mocktails, sweets, pies, brownie.
7. A process of making sweetener blend with low glycemic index comprising of:
a) stevia, erythritol, fructoologosachharide (FOS), sorbitol in defined ratios as per food product;
b) pulverization at room temperature 25-40oC;
c) sieving for desired particle size of 80, 100, 200 microns;
d) storing and packaging.
8. A kit of sweetener blend with low glycemic index comprising:
stevia, erythritol, fructoologosachharide (FOS), sorbitol in defined ratios as per food product alone or in combination thereof.
9. A kit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sweetener in the ratio of Erythritol: FOS: Stevia equal to 5.5: 1 : 0.01.
10. A kit as claimed in claim 1, sweetener in the ratio of Erythritol: FOS: Sorbitol: Stevia equal to 2:1:1:0.01.
11. A kit as claimed in claim 1, sweeter in the ratio of Erythritol: FOS: Stevia equal to 1:1.1:0.01.
12. A kit as claimed in claim 1, sweetener in the ratio of Erythritol: FOS equal to 5.5:1.