Ancient agave yields modern sweetener

Prepared Foods, June, 1999 by Fran LaBell

For more than 9,000 years the agave plant has served the people of Mesoamerica as a source of food and fiber. Now Agave Tequilana weber, the same variety that is processed into tequila, provides a natural sweetener that is very high in fructose and has numerous food applications.

To produce agave nectar, juice expressed from the agave fruit (harvested from an extensive supply of plants cultivated in Mexico) is filtered and heated. Thermic hydrolysis breaks down carbohydrates into sugars, specifically 90% fructose, 8% glucose and 2% other compounds. The filtered juice is concentrated to a syrup-like liquid a little thinner than honey. At 7578 [degrees] Brix, agave nectar is shelf stable.

Dark agave nectar is amber in color with a molasses-like flavor. Light agave nectar is water white and has a neutral flavor because it is demineralized. Spray-dried versions are available as well.

Western Commerce Corp., City of Industry, Calif., a major processor and distributor of natural sweeteners such as honey and molasses, markets agave ingredients. The ingredients are available certified organic by Quality Assurance International, San Diego, Calif.

Due to the predominance of fructose, agave nectar is 42% sweeter than sucrose but has the same caloric value. Thus, a smaller amount yields the same sweetness but fewer calories than sucrose.

Agave nectar has been found to have a very low glycemic index, which is the ratio used to measure the relative ability of a carbohydrate to raise blood glucose levels, says Roland Vom Dorp, president, Western Commerce. "Agave's glycemic index of 11 is one of the lowest ever seen. It would be suitable for diabetics as long as they monitor their carbohydrate intake," he adds.

Jennie Brand Miller, Ph.D., professor of nutrition and biochemistry, University of Sydney, Australia, and world-renowned authority on glycemic index, tested two versions of light agave nectar and determined their glycemic index. Foods with a low glycemic index are absorbed slowly by the body, so there are fewer peaks and valleys in insulin production.

Agave nectar can be used in beverages, baked products, cereals, fruit concentrates, condiments, desserts, candies and other sweet foods. The nectar enhances flavors in food products, especially fruit flavors, which makes it particularly useful for fruity beverages, iced teas or smoothies. It can be used instead of fruit juice concentrates in fruit spreads or in bases for yogurt products.

In baked goods, the nectar provides softness and humectancy that may add to shelf life. It can be used in energy bars, chewy granola bars, soft cookies and in the fruit fillings for these products. It can be used in frozen desserts in conjunction with other ingredients to assure a firm set-up and texture.

Another food ingredient derived from the agave plant is agavulin, a fructo-oligosaccharide-rich material that is 80% inulin and 13% carbohydrates, including some sugars. This water-soluble dietary fiber enhances the growth of beneficial Bifidobacteria. Processed into a calorie-free, easily dispersible, bland powder, agavulin forms a soft gel with water that can serve as a fat replacer in frozen desserts, creamers, dairy spreads and lowfat cheeses. It provides fiber enrichment to baked goods, cereals, beverages, yogurts and energy bars and adds body and texture to sauces and dressings.

Agave has been a food source for thousands of years, but its potentials are still unfolding in the context of modern food science.