Coconut blossom sugar – a new sweetener
Coconut blossom sugar is obtained from nectar of the coconut palm and has become increasingly popular in recent years. This leads to increased demand and quality control.
The popularity of coconut blossom sugar can be traced back to its lower glycemic index compared to conventional household sugar. The glycemic index indicates how quickly the blood sugar level rises with the intake of a specific amount of sugar. A low glycemic index ensures a slow and steady rise in blood sugar levels, which prevents the development of diabetes and insulin resistance. Furthermore, coconut blossom sugar is gluten-free and is often produced ecologically and sustainably, as the coconut palms do not need to be cut for extraction.
Addition of foreign sugars
The addition of foreign sugars from corn or sugar cane can be determined by detecting the carbon stable isotope ratio. For the analysis QSI uses cavity ring down spectroscopy (CRDS). In this technique, the dried sample is first burned and then the 13C isotope ratio in the combustion gas is analysed.
QSI performs this analysis since 2019 and was able to detect a significant deviation of the isotope ratio in a quarter of all analysed samples. This indicates the addition of foreign sugars. In a recent test consumer magazines also examined coconut blossom sugar. In 8 out of 20 samples (40%), an indication of the addition of foreign sugars was found.
QSI assists you in verifying the authenticity of coconut blossom sugar
Therefore we recommend to check the authenticity of your product on a regular basis. In addition, we advise you to test for possibly contained heavy metals (cadmium, chromium, copper, lead and zinc) as well as sensory properties of your products. This ensures compliance with legal limits as well as toxicologically tolerable daily intakes (TDI). Sensory testing is used to determine the typical strong and caramel-like taste.
For further information on this topic and on the authenticity and adulteration of other foods, please do not hesitate to contact us.
If you have any questions or special requirements regarding the scope we will be happy to advise you
Email: info(at)qsi-q3.de
+49 (0) 421-596607-0
Contact
Source: Ökotest
