Food Standards Australia New Zealand Warns People With Fructose Metabolism Disorders Away From Isolmaltulose

13/08/07 Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has advised that a sugar substitute that it has just approved, called isomaltulose, contains fructose and glucose and is therefore not suitable for people with disorders in fructose metabolism.

People with this condition must avoid all foods containing fructose, even naturally occurring sugars found in fruit, FSANZ warned.

Isomaltulose provides the same energy as the sugar used in many foods, but is digested more slowly, leading to lower and slower increases in blood glucose when compared to traditional sugar. It is suitable for use as a total or partial replacement for sugar in certain foods.

Dr Bob Boyd, FSANZ’s chief medical adviser, said: ‘We have evaluated the safety of isomaltulose before approving its use in food and have concluded that there are no public health or safety concerns for the general population.

‘However, our evaluation also showed that isomaltulose would not be suitable for consumers with disorders in fructose metabolism – such as hereditary fructose intolerance and fructose malabsorption – because it breaks down into fructose and glucose in the digestive tract.

‘In addition, people who lack, or are deficient in, the enzyme sucrase-isomaltase and cannot digest traditional sugar, will not be able to digest isomaltulose either.’

FSANZ is advising the medical profession, through its peak bodies, to be aware that there are now three sugar substitutes that are unsuitable for people with disorders in fructose metabolism – tagatose, sorbitol and isomaltulose – in addition to the sugar normally used to sweeten foods.

Medical practitioners should advise their patients to check the ingredients list on food labels, where each of these sugar substitutes will be identified, if present in the food.

Isomaltulose will most commonly be found in beverages (e.g. soft drinks, fruit or vegetable drinks), breakfast cereals, jams and marmalades, confectionery, energy-reduced foods and meal replacements.

Palatinit’s application for novel food status of the low glycemic carbohydrate Isomaltulose was officially approved in New Zealand and Australia with effect from the 2nd of August 2007. Official recognition of Isomaltulose (Palatinose) as a novel food has been granted on the basis of a detailed dossier on its safety and use submitted by Palatinit in April 2006 to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). The new approval enables manufacturers to use Palatinose in beverages and foods in general, in line with the Food Standards Code.

Palatinose is an approved food in many Asian countries. In Europe Palatinose gained EU novel food approval in July 2005. In March 2006 the GRAS status of Palatinose was confirmed when the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued the ‘letter of no objection’ to Palatinit. In Japan, Isomaltulose has been used in foods and beverages since 1985 and is included in the FOSHU Regulation (Food for Specific Health Use).