Crystalline fructose has surged in popularity among manufacturers in the past few years because of its usefulness as a sweetener in the manufacturing of food, beverages, and nutraceuticals.
Fructose is a natural sugar found in a variety of foods such as fruit, honey and vegetables, and is commonly called “fruit sugar” because of this. It metabolises slower than table sugar and does not raise glucose levels as fast.It is regarded as a simple carbohydrate with a low Glycemic Index rating between 35 and 45.Fructose is sweeter than table sugar (1.8 times) and requires about 1/2 the amount to get the same sweetness. This means fructose uses nearly 50% less calories per serving.You’ll find crystalline fructose is no less than 98% pure fructose; it’s generally believed to be 20 percent or so sweeter than sugar and about 5% sweeter than high-fructose corn syrup.Although it’s typically made from corn, it can also be manufactured by separating the fructose and glucose molecules in standard table sugar.(Bear in mind when crystalline fructose is listed as an ingredient in your products, it comes from cornstarch, not fruit.)

For most manufacturers, crystalline fructose is interchangeable with high fructose corn syrup or other sugars, and because of its sweeter-than-sugar properties, it can usually be replaced in smaller quantities, which can help lower overall calorie counts on finished products.