AOAC SPSFAM Meeting Book 9-24

9/21/2017

Sugars ▪ AAFCO ▪ Sugars: (Nutrient) The sum of all free disaccharides and monosaccharides such as: sucrose, lactose, maltose, glucose, fructose, and galactose or others digestible by enzymes found in an animal’s digestive tract. ▪ FDA ▪ Sugars are the smallest and simplest type of carbohydrate . They are easily digested and absorbed by the body. There are two types of sugars, and most foods contain some of each kind. ▪ Single sugars (monosaccharides) are small enough to be absorbed directly into the bloodstream. They include: Fructose, Galactose. Glucose ▪ Sugars that contain two molecules of sugar linked together (disaccharides) are broken down in your body into single sugars. They include: Sucrose (table sugar ) = glucose + fructose, Lactose (milk sugar) = glucose + galactose, Maltose (malt sugar) = glucose + glucose ▪ For this application, the sugars of interest are fructose, glucose, sucrose, maltose, lactose, galactose.

Sugars in the Diet ▪ Sugars are a class of low molecular weight carbohydrates that tend to be readily digested and absorbed in the small intestine ▪ A desirable energy source in some animal species, but in other species, or at high dietary levels has been associated with undesirable effects on health and elevation of blood glucose levels. ▪ Nutritionally and compositionally distinct from other carbohydrates such as starch, fructan, and dietary fiber. ▪ Listed as a separate carbohydrate category in USDA, FAO, and FDA carbohydrate fractionation schemes

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