Application of whey-derived syrups in dairy products

Abstract

Sugar substitution is a hot topic in current food and beverage development. Sugar substitute is a food additive with sugar-like taste and usually cheaper than sugar. We developed production of glucose-galactose syrup (GGS) from cheese whey to replace and lower sucrose content in dairy products. Nanofiltrated whey containing 15% lactose underwent enzymatic and demineralization processing, producing different levels of monosaccharaides and electrolytes. We hypothesized that the amount of glucose/galactose and minerals in GGS might mediate sweet taste transduction resulting in different perception of sweetness. Using cell-based approach we demonstrated a link between GGS composition, cellular response, and sensory data. GGS with 20% glucose and 16% galactose activated sweet taste transduction and had similar sweetness level compared to sucrose. Moreover, demineralization level of GGS mediated sweet perception and cellular responses. Taken together, our results provide opportunities to optimize production at low-cost GGS from whey to reduce sugar in various PepsiCo products