Introduction of Neotame
1.Introduction of Neotame
Neotame is a dipeptide methyl ester that is intended for use in food as a sweetener and flavour enhancer in a variety of applications. Neotame, the common name for N-[N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-alpha-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester, is chemically related to aspartame. It has a sweetness potency of 7000–13 000 times greater than that of sucrose and 30–60 times greater than that of aspartame, depending on the food matrix in which it is used.
Neotame, a white/off-white powder, is manufactured from aspartame and 3,3-dimethylbutyraldehyde in a one-step chemical synthesis, which includes a reductive alkylation, followed by purification, drying, and milling. Neotame has not been evaluated previously by the Committee.
Sweetness characteristic of neotame:
Neotame is 7000-13000 times sweeter than sucrose, Because neotame’s chemical bonds which generate sweetness has amplifying effect, which leads to high degree sweetness. If neotame content is relatively high, the chemical bonds which generate sweetness will be close to each other, and their sweetness enhancing area will be overlapping, therefore affects the overall sweetness level, So high concentration of neotame will result in low sweetness level, conversely, low concentration of neotame will result in high sweetness level. For example, if the sweetness which neotame generates is as that of 2% sucrose solution, the sweetness that neotame generates will be more than 10000 times, if it is as that of 5% sucrose solution, the sweetness will be around 8000 times. According to the sweetness requirement of series of sweet products, neotame could be applied in different products, and generates 7000-13000 times of sucrose’ s sweetness, thus a great many documents describe neotame’s sweetness as a range of 7000-13000, not a certain number instead. Considering high sweetness products,with the mixture use of neotame will result in very ideal sweetness, and its excellent property is able to improve other sweeteners’ characters.
Stability of Neotame：
Neotame is stable in a dry place, and can be stored as long as 5 years in the condition of dry and room temperature, its monohydrate state do not absorb moisture. and thermal stability is better than aspartame, so suitable to use the methods of pasteurization and the instantaneous high temperature to sterilization, but it could be decomposed if it is in the condition of more than 120 degree for long time.
In the following table, neotame’s stability will change notably as PH and temperature changed in aqueous solution, its stability is similar to aspartame in condition of PH 3.0-5.5.In 0.1mol/L phosphate buffer, when PH stays 4.5, neotame’s half-life is 208 days in condition of 25 degree, while its half life will be reduced to 45days in condition of 40 degree. when PH is 3,neotame’s half-life is 77 days in condition of 25 degree, while its half life will be reduced to 22 days in condition of 40 degree, and 24 hours in condition of 80 degree. As to products needing neotame, can be applied to HTST sterilization. For example, as 80 degree,heating solution of PH 3 for 30 minutes will still keep 98.6% neotame, which indicates that neotame, which indicates that neotame do not run off actually. As to solution of PH 4.5, its stability is in the best state, as is in the PH range of yogurt,so neotame is very stable in yogurt. Its half-life is 14 days in condition of 25 degree and PH 7, and 3days in condition of 40 degree, 4 hours in condition of 80 degree.
Neotame can be used with a variety of reducing carbonyl compounds.Such as glucose, fructose, high fructose corn syrup, lactose, maltose, etc. They are used together without generatiing Maillard reaction.
Neotame can be used with a variety of flavors or flavor aldehyde-containing substances, such as vanillin, ethyl vanillin, cinnamic aldehyde, acid, citral, etc. Without the risk of common use of co-Schiff base reaction.Aldehyde compound with aspartame between the unsubstituted amino group, may produce undesirable co Schiff base reactions, neotame of N-substituted amino such a reaction does not occur.
2.Applications of Neotame
Neotame can be applied in products including juice,carbonated drinks,solid beverage,dairy products,candy, chewing gum, jelly, baking products,medicine, animal feed,condiment,areca,alcoholic drinks and ice-cream.
- 1.Drinks:
Neotame is of great stability, do not affect products’ features including drinks’ flavor,color after batch production, high temperature short time(HTST) sterilization and aseptic operation.
Neotame’s sweetness can be kept in cola carbonated drinks as long as 4-5 months, it can be applied in juice, vegetable juice and low alcohol wine, improve the taste and flavor of drinks, can also be applied in solid powdered beverage like lemon tea and milk powder.
Neotame is very stable in these products and its duration is consistent with the life span of drink itself.In the meantime, the content of neotame could replace more than 20% citric acid, and the taste of sour stay the same.
Solid powdered beverage: neotame can replace 30% sucrose which do not change the products’ flavor, and can reduce production cost, can replace aspartame in the recipe without label phenylalanine.
- 2.Dairy products:
Researches shows that, when this kind of products’ shelf life come to an end, the neotame in it only decrease for 2%, which has merely effect to the product.
Neotame is suitable for batch production, high temperature short time(HTST) sterilization and aseptic operation, the final products containing neotame maintain stable concentration,especially for yogurt products, which can apply neotame to enhance its flavor.
Neotame do not involve in fermentation, cannot affect the growth of normal fungus, so it can be widely used in dairy products like yogurt and cheese. It is stable in condition of PH 4.0-4.5.In the process of fermentation,neotame is stable,and its replacement of part of sucrose reduce the calory of the product, increase the nutritional value latently(milk replace part of sucrose volume), thus consumer can get better products.
- 3.Starch, protein foods:
Neotame can be mixed with other nutrition and non-nutrition sweeteners. It can resist starch’s deceasing, prolong the products’ duration. Also can resist protein denaturation and keep good flavor in rich protein foods.
- 4.Savory food:
Neotame can be applied in high temperature short time(HTST) products including popcorn,cookie and cakes, because of the heating time is very little, neotame concentration merely changes.
- 5.Preserved fruits, candied and highsweetness foods:
Neotame could be perfectly excel its functions when applied in preserved fruits, candied fruit, plum and other high sweetness food, the required sweetness could be easily reached without any bitter taste.According to researches,neotame can generate synergistic sweetening effect with saccharin and cyclamate, the appropriate portion of neotame with other sweeteners could enhance the flavor of food apparently.
- 6.Candy,chewing gum and other childrens food
Neotame’s blend with sugar alcohol products could be applied in low-cost healthy sugar-free foods, especially kinds of candies that children love, the taste is impressive, and can also prevent dental caries.Neotame is not involved in the human oral microbial metabolism and not digested, so it can prevent dental caries which does good to teeth, neotame can replace sucrose,applied in producing sugar-free gum,and prolong the its sweetness apparently. Neotame is merely absorbed in our bodies, due to its mere calorie, which is suitable for obese patients, patients with cardiovascular disease and the elderly as well as those who desire to control weight eating; does not cause blood sugar fluctuations for people with diabetes.
- 7.Table-top sweeteners
Neotame has no moisture absorption, low energy, is very suitable as a table-top sweeteners. The study shows that neotame sweetness can be stored for a long time.
- 8.Preserved canned products
Neotame can be used for acid canned foods, substituting 30% of the other sweeteners’sweetness can significantly increase the canned flavor, and reduce costs. adding instant Neotame in fish and other protein-rich foods can inhibit the protein denaturation, keep good taste. As it is available in the application,in canned-fruit products,it can reduce the overall proportion of syrup, reducing the odds of fruit floating,there’s no need to add more fruits.
Neotame showing good stability during the canned-food heat treatment.
- 9.Jelly
Generally,the solid content of the jelly minimum requirement is 15%, and jelly taste good when reach 18-22 sweetness, so the excessive 15 sweeteners can be substituted by sweeteners to adjust the taste, for example: Use neotame substitute 3 sweetness , the actual usage is: 3/8000 × 100% = 0.03755 (w / w); the final product taste sweet and pure, and can reduce the total cost of the product.
- 10.Feed
Neotame can effectively masking saccharin’s aftertaste bitter, improve feed palatability. Daily feed consumption of livestock determines the growth, especially young pigs, suckling pig feed intake, affecting livestock entire growth process, thus improving the palatability of feed, especially suckling pig, young pig feed palatability resistance can increase their daily intake, thus speeding up their growth rate. Livestock, especially young pigs, piglets are more sensitive than the human palate.
Neotame’s characteristics including pure sweet, no bitter, astringent, metallic odor, can make up and improved feed sweetener, can mask the bitter taste of saccharin and metallic taste, to improve the taste characteristics of feed.
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