Vietnam to launch trehalose sugar production

A group of Vietnamese scientists has achieved progress in producing trehalose sugar from starch using enzyme technology applied in the food industry.

Products of the research topic

The objective of the research by the Food Industries Research Institute (FIRI) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) is to develop a technological process to produce trehalose sugar in order to replace imported products used in the food processing industry.

Trehalose sugar is a naturally occurring low-energy sugar used as a substitute in production of foods and beverages. Products made with trehalose are said to have high nutritional value and help prevent diabetes. Its function is similar to that of sucrose, but it is more stable and has a milder sweetness. There are two kinds of trehalose sugar - one with 45 percent purity often used directly as a supplement or sweetener in food processing; and the other of 70 percent purity often used for diet products.

Most of the trehalose used in Vietnam is imported and its prices are relatively high. Therefore, local production of the powder is not only of scientific significance but also of socioeconomic value.

So far, the research has successfully created MTSase and MTHase recombinant enzymes with a capacity of 50 liters of fermentation per batch and developed a technological process for trehalose sugar production at a capacity of 500kg of raw material per batch.

The Ba Vi Milk Joint Stock Company has already produced 1,000 yogurt containers with trehalose sugar to improve the quality and stability of its products.

“Conventional yogurt has to supplement some additives to increase the structure of the product and extend storage time. However, trehalose sugar improves the product's structure and nutritional value, and the sweetness is 55 percent lower than other kinds of sugar,” said Do Thi Thanh Huyen, the scientific secretary of the research project.

She said Vietnam currently has no facility to produce trehalose sugar, while the demand is very high. The research team wishes to perfect the technology and equipment line in order to produce high-quality trehalose products at reasonable prices for domestic food and pharmaceutical enterprises.

Competitive prices of Trehalose sugar will help limit imports. Therefore, once the project is implemented on an industrial scale, it will contribute to increasing the value of Vietnamese products, as well as promoting the diversification of Vietnamese sugar products.