Food bulking agents often referred to as carriers or fillers, are carbohydrates, non-nutritive additives used in food and beverage that increase the bulk (volume or weight) of a food without affecting its taste and keeping its utility and functionality intact.
They are often used in conjunction with high-intensity sweeteners (HISs) which do not bulk – HISs just provide intense sweetness – and therefore the bulking agents are required to add volume.
Guar gum, psyllium husk and starch are one of the most common forms of bulking agents.
Carnuba Wax, Glycerin, Beta, Glucan, Mannitol, Maltitlol, Polydextrose, Methylcellulose and Pectin are other examples of food bulking agents.
Widely used in low calorie foods, meal replacements, pastries, cereals and most processed foods bulking agents can be used as weight loss aid for their ability of delivering fullness and decreased appetite.
Ingredients added only to contribute bulk - over and above what is contributed by the regular formula of ingredients - should be classified 'non-functional'. Being basically a filler or extender, it produces no effect within the food matrix.
However, the bulking agent contribute to the control of certain factors it should be classified as a 'functional' bulking agent.
Bulking agents can be classified into two broad groups: nutritive and non-nutritive. Maltodextrins (nutritive group) are bland, nutritive saccharide polymers consisting of glucose units. Maltodextrins can be used to increase soluble solids, inhibit sugar crystallization, and control freezing point. They have also been used as fat mimics in frozen desserts.
Example of non-nutritive bulking agent: polydextrose and Fibersol-2®. Polydextrose, is a low-molecular-weight randomly bonded polysaccharide of glucose with energy utilisation of 1 kcal/g has attained significant use as a low-calorie bulking agent to replace sugar in reduced calorie foods. The low-calorie content of polydextrose is a result of its indigestibility in the small intestine and incomplete fermentation in the large intestine.
A commercial example of a resistant maltodextrin, Fibersol-2® can be used as a bulking agent for use with high-intensity sweeteners. It forms clear aqueous solutions with a clean taste and a relative sweetness of 0.1 of sucrose.
Food bulking agent
