Category: sweetener
Aliases: E964, Hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, HSH, Maltitol syrup, Polyglycitol, Hydrogenated glucose syrup
A bulk polyol sweetener made by hydrogenating glucose/starch hydrolysate, yielding a mixture of [[sorbitol]], [[maltitol]] and longer hydrogenated malto-oligosaccharides (the exact profile, and thus sweetness, depends on the parent syrup's dextrose equivalent). It is partially and slowly absorbed; the unabsorbed higher-MW fraction is fermented in the colon, giving an osmotic/laxative effect at high intake like other polyols. It is roughly 25-50% as sweet as sucrose with a reduced glycaemic and insulinaemic response and reduced calories, and is non-cariogenic. Used as a humectant, bulking agent and crystallisation inhibitor in sugar-free confectionery.