by J. C. Spencer

Trehalose has more benefits in foods than just enhancing taste, being tooth friendly, and serving as a very healthful sugar. Trehalose may be your solution for refrigerated foods that form pools of water. Certain foods form pools of water when they are cooled, frozen, or defrosted.

A report in the Food Manufacture 12/10/09 states that very small amounts of trehalose stops moisture migrating from these prepared foods as they thaw. I quote the UK publication, �There�s nothing worse than defrosting a shepherd�s pie and seeing pools of water floating around in it as you put it in the oven. But it�s also interesting for potential application in products that you are told you can�t freeze. The reason you�re told not to freeze them is often because they go watery when they are defrosted. If we could prevent water pooling, these products could be sold frozen or could be subsequently frozen by consumers.�

Trehalose can also be used to similar effect in some multi-component bakery products, where it could reduce moisture migration and help to maximize shelf-life. It is water soluble, highly stable, tooth-friendly, not especially sweet (45% as sweet as sucrose). Companies using trehalose must declare on the ingredients as trehalose.

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