Confectionery

Polyols 

Polyols are principally used as sugar replacers in food products, a major advantage over intense sweeteners being their bulking property. Various polyols, such as sorbitol, mannitol or xylitol, can be found naturally in some fruits or vegetables in significant quantities. Roquette produces them from naturally occurring compounds in wheat and maize.  

Their energy cost is less than that of sugars. Although sugars’ caloric value is 4 kcal/g, that of polyols is only 2.4 kcal/g (European norms). Today, European regulation also recognizes the nutritional benefits of such molecules. (Maintenance of tooth mineralization, toothfriendly generic EU claims).

Roquette has had a concern for some years in oral hygiene. Its numerous research projects on polyols' properties have facilitated the growth and success of no-sugar confectionery.

Polyols for healthy teeth

Dental plaque, a sticky bacterial film that develops on dental enamel, reoccurs after every meal. Those microorganisms feed on sugar fermentation, produced by destructive acids attacking the teeth’s enamel. If the pH goes under 5.7, the enamel begins losing its minerals, which is the first step towards tooth decay.
Neither sorbitol, maltitol, mannitol, xylitol nor isomalt produce acids or cause tooth decay due to the fact that they are not metabolized by the oral bacteria. This effect is guaranteed thanks to the strict quality controls Roquette applies. 

Polyols by Roquette, a visible recognition

Products made from Roquette polyols respond to scientifically approved criteria. This conformance – no fermentation-producing products or acids in the products – permits the use of the Toothfriendly international logo.