What is crystalline fructose? Why are more and more food and beverages, especially nutritional products, choosing to use crystalline fructose? In fact, you may not know as much about crystalline fructose as you think.

What is crystalline fructose

Crystalline fructose, namely hexoketose, is a naturally occurring sugar and is the sweetest, with a sweetness 1.3-1.8 times that of sucrose.
Crystalline fructose is easily soluble in water (solubility is 3.5g/mL at 20℃) and ethanol, insoluble in ether, and is an odorless white crystalline powder.
It is stable to light and heat, and easily absorbs moisture. Pure fructose is colorless needle-shaped or trigonal crystals, so it is called crystalline fructose.

Crystalline fructose is metabolized faster than glucose in human body, easily absorbed by the organism, and does not depend on insulin, and has little effect on blood sugar, so it is suitable for glucose metabolism and liver insufficiency patients to replenish energy, and can inhibit the excessive storage of fat in human body when eaten with fat, and it also has the characteristics of promoting the reproduction of beneficial bacteria, improving intestinal function and metabolism, promoting calcium absorption, and not causing tooth decay.
Like sucrose and maltose, crystalline fructose can be digested and absorbed by the small intestine and is a source of nutrition for the human body. Diabetic patients, obese people and children can also eat it without worry.



When crystalline fructose absorbs 6-12% water, it does not release or absorb water, which can inhibit food dehydration and starch aging, keep products soft and prolong shelf life;. Because crystalline fructose contains aldehyde groups, it can have a merad reaction with amino-containing compounds to color baked goods. Crystalline fructose has strong freezing point reduction ability, thus it is suitable for frozen food and can enhance the taste.



Unlike sucrose, crystalline fructose does not decompose under acidic conditions, so the sweetness and flavor of the finished product are less likely to go off during extended storage. the peak of flavor release of crystalline fructose occurs before glucose and sucrose and does not obscure the aroma release of fruit flavors, so it can better reflect the fruit-like flavors. Crystalline fructose, when used in synergy with other sugars or sweeteners, can enhance the perception of sweetness and serve to increase the sweetness of foods and beverages while maintaining the fluffiness of baked goods and the low viscosity of beverages.