Decrease in the D-Psicose Content of Processed Foods Fortified with a Rare Sugar

D-Psicose is expected to be widely used as a raw material for various foods in the future due to its beneficial health properties and rheological characteristics. To provide the functional effects of D-psicose to consumers, this sugar needs to be stable during food processing. To evaluate the stability of D-psicose, we investigated changes in D-psicose concentration during caramelization and the Maillard reaction, both of which are important reactions that typically occur during food processing ; and during general food processing. During caramelization and the Maillard reaction, the concentration of D-psicose is decreased as the reaction temperature and pH are increased. During food processing, a similar tendency was observed : D-psicose degradation ranged from 3.3% (fig jam) to 10.8% (sponge cake) . We concluded that although D-psicose degradation occurs at elevated temperatures and pHs, D-psicose loss can be minimized by controlling the temperature and pH during the cooking process.