New sweetener adopted by 2 firms

A natural sweetener called Allulose may replace calorie-high sugar consumption in the future.

The sweetener, which is comprised of extracts from healthy ingredients like figs and raisins, tastes similar to sugar but has a calorie count of as little as 0.02 kcal per gram. Table sugar is 4 kcal per gram.

CJ Cheiljedang, Korea’s leading food manufacturer, demonstrated the up-and-coming sweetener Tuesday at the Institute of Food Technologist, one of the biggest fairs in food science. The fair was held in Chicago from Sunday to Tuesday.

It received a lot of attention for its exclusive technology to transform the original liquid formula into a crystal form by manipulating the temperature. The company said such technology is the first of its kind.

CJ said the liquid form of Allulose is suitable for diet shakes and sports drinks, while the crystallized form can be used in cereal bars or chocolate.

CJ Cheiljedang has been selling its liquid-type Allulose since March. It was the only product of its kind at the time.

Samyang Corporation, a Korean food and chemical company, jumped on the bandwagon by announcing Monday that it obtained a license from the Korean Food and Drugs Administration to sell the low-calorie sweetener.

The company said that Allulose can prevent fat accumulation in the abdomen, citing research co-directed by the Catholic University of Korea’s St. Vincent’s Hospital.

Samyang’s version of Allulose is said to be manufactured without any genetically modified elements, which the company claims to be a world first. The Allulose license comes four years after the company undertook research to find a sweetener that is healthier but still tasty.

The company said it has also submitted a license application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

It will start mainstream production in Korea from August. If the FDA approves the sweetener, Samyang Corporation is planning sales in overseas markets as well.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]