|
August 29, 2007
|
|
| Korean scientists said yesterday that they have developed a cheap, eco-friendly method to mass-produce xylitol sweeteners. The team, led by Kim Jung-hee at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, said the new process uses Candida tropicallis microorganisms to extract xylitol from birch and corn fibers. Xylitol, first developed in Finland where it is called birch sugar, is widely used in gums, candies, dairy products and bread. There is high demand for the product because it is low in calories, while sweet and easy to dissolve like sugar. “Using microbes allows for an extraction rate of 98 percent and can reduce production costs by roughly 20 percent compared to the conventional chemical manufacturing method,” the researcher said. He said the extraction rate is a significant improvement over the 50 to 60 percent levels reached until now. Under conventional methods, birch and corn fibers are subjected to a hydrolysis process to extract the xylose substance that forms the basis of the sweetener. Xylose is then exposed to high pressure and heat, with nickel added as a catalyst. The use of nickel, a heavy metal, has been a source of environmental concern. Yonhap |
|
