Maltitol

AFI82 · 12-03-2007, 03:58 PM

Went to a different grocery store last night, so I wasn't able to pick up my usual bread. The kind that I ended up with has 1 gram of Maltitol per slice.

I've never seen/heard of this before. It was listed right below sugar in the Carbohydrates section. From what I just read, it just seems to be a sugar substitue that can, in large doses, act as a laxative.

Any thoughts on this stuff? I've not tried any of the bread as of yet.

RedLefty · 12-03-2007, 07:36 PM

Maltitol in larger doses (like in sugar-free chocolate) messes up my pipes big-time. JP has shared a similar sensitivity to it in this forum before.

1g per slice probably isn't that big a deal for most people. Seems kinda strange to add it to bread, though.

Lost Dog · 12-03-2007, 07:45 PM

Weird. Is it some sort of sweet-style bread? Some corn bread mixes use it to add sweetness without carbs. Because corn is so low carb, right?

Another reason to use maltitol is increase the shelf life of the bread (from a moistness perspective). Sugar and sugar alcohols hold moisture, so the bread will be pliable longer.

Still weird, though.

cappuccino · 12-03-2007, 09:04 PM

most store bought sliced bread has sweetener in it, if not 99.9%. I guess this is the low-carb version :p Usually has HFCS in it.

RedLefty · 12-04-2007, 09:52 AM

Just doesn't make sense. Sure, they add some sweetener in most breads these days, but usually in small amounts. And like you guys noted, bread is mostly carbs anyway... so why add in a substance usually reserved for low-carb products?

Especially when that substance has the tendency to unleash anal spewage in some people who eat it?

Jean-Paul · 12-04-2007, 10:35 AM

I agree with your confusion on this RL.

Just don't buy bread. Break your habit of eating it altogether.

Maltitol is the devil! Avoid it like the plague if you can. I'd almost rather ruin my diet and eat some sugar.

AFI82 · 12-04-2007, 11:59 AM

Not at home right now, so I can't say for sure what brand the bread it. It does have a somewhat odd texture too it. Seems a little bit more stiff than other bread, but certainly not stale.

The shelf was fairly empty when I went for bread, and it was the only one I saw that didn't have HFCS in it. I guess I'll go through this loaf and aim for my usual next time.

Perhaps the Maltitol is in for a low calorie reason. It's only got 50 calories per slice. Although, plenty of other breads flaunt less than 50 calories per slice.

RacerBill · 12-04-2007, 01:31 PM

I thought this sounded a bit familiar. I had to do a google search, but located this:

Frozen dough conditioners - US Patent 5554403

Basically, the maltitol, along with a bunch of other chemicals, will help bread retain its texture when it's been frozen.

maxattack · 12-04-2007, 03:08 PM

I have run across this in some breads as well. Natures own makes a sugar free whole wheat bread that uses malitol instead of a small amount of brown sugar. I have tried it before and perosnally haven't had a problem with the small amount used.

Lost Dog · 12-04-2007, 10:15 PM

I wouldn't worry about the maltitol in bread. It must be a tiny amount.

it's a gimmick so they can say no sugar added, most likely. Maltitol still provides at least 2-3 calories compared to sugar and is pretty high in the GI scale. Plus, it's not as sweet as sugar so you actually have to use more of it. But, it takes more than a gram or two to gas you up.

It's key feature seems to be that it's not sugar, so they can say "sugar free" or "no added sugar."

I wouldn't buy the bread simply because it's weird to put it in there. It's seems like a sign of cost cutting or gimmickry, like using a drop of HFCS instead of a pinch of sugar.