Sucralose is one of a variety of non-nutritive sugar substitutes. It is used in a wide range of products, including beverages, baked goods, desserts, dairy products, canned fruits, syrups and condiments. SPLENDA®, a product of Tate & Lyle, is a consumer-oriented brand of Sucralose that is individually packaged as a zero calorie sugar-substitute for individual consumption.
Until now, there has not been a convenient method available to test the concentration of either SPLENDA®-brand consumer sweetener or pure Sucralose in water. Researchers at MISCO have developed the first-ever direct reading digital refractometer capable of reading both pure Sucralose solutions, and for solutions containing the SPLENDA®-brand consumer sweetener.
The Sucralose/SPLENDA® Refractometer is a dual-scale refractometer which relies on the proprietary “optical engine” in MISCO’s Palm Abbe Refractometer platform to instantly and accurately measure the concentration of pure Sucralose solutions, or the concentration of solutions containing consumer-based SPLENDA® brand sweetener.
Since pure Sucralose is 600 times sweeter than sucrose, it only requires a very small amount of Sucralose to match the equivalent sweetness of sugar. When SPLENDA® is packaged for consumer use, as a direct sugar replacement, fillers such as dextrose and maltose are added as a carrier to give SPLENDA® the volume and texture of an equivalent amount of sucrose. Solutions containing SPLENDA® sweeter, packaged for consumer use, should be measured on the refractometer’s SPLENDA® scale.
Pure Sucralose is sold in bulk (without fillers) and in liquid form, for the direct addition into commercially prepared food and beverages. Solutions of pure Sucralose and water should be measured on the Sucralose scale.
The Sucralose/SPLENDA® Refractometer has a user-friendly interface which consists of two buttons: one to take readings and the other to step through various menu options. The large dual-line LCD display is easily read, even in dim light, and readings are automatically temperature compensated for fluids read between 0 and 50 °C (+32 to 122 °F). Calibration of the Sucralose/SPLENDA® Refractometer is automatic and does not require special calibration solutions or tools.
A Little Background on Sucralose/SPLENDA®
Scientists from the Tate & Lyle Company, together with researchers from King's College, in London, first discovered Sucralose in 1976. However, it took nearly 14 years before being endorsed by the World Health Organization. It wasn’t until 1998 that the US FDA first approved Sucralose for use in foods and beverages, and it took nearly six more years before being approved in the European Union, where it is known as food additive code E955. Sucralose is now accepted for use in nearly 100 countries.
Naturally, Sucralose was originally sold by Tate & Lyle, under the trade name SPLENDA®, but is now available from a variety of suppliers. Claimed to be 600 times sweeter than sucrose, Sucralose is twice as sweet as saccharin, and four times as sweet as aspartame.
Sucralose is typically sold in one of three forms: bulk packaged as pure Sucralose, packaged in a liquid form, and packaged as a direct consumer product.
Because it only requires a very small amount of Sucralose to match the equivalent sweetness of sugar, fillers such as dextrose or maltose are added as a carrier to give it the volume and texture of an equivalent amount of sucrose when it is packaged for consumer use as a direct sugar replacement.
Pure Sucralose is sold in bulk powder and in liquid form, for direct addition into commercial products. Tate & Lyle sell a 25% liquid concentrate of SPLENDA®, which they claim is approximately 150 times the sweetness of sugar. Other Sucralose-water blends are available from various online suppliers.
The artificial sweetener market is conservatively estimated at $1.5 billion dollars a year. This market is expected to grow largely based on the plethora of new consumer beverages and sports-drinks being introduced each year. And, although the profit margins on artificial sweeteners are still very high, they are a great value to the food and beverage industry compared with the amount of sugar or corn-syrup needed to affect the same perceived sweetness. It is rumored that the price of Sucralose may soon drop by as much as 30% as alternative methods to the patented Tate & Lyle's manufacturing process begin to emerge.
SPLENDA® is a registered trademark of Tate & Lyle Company.
Refractometer Features:
