Natural Tagatose a sweet fill-in
It looks like sugar, tastes like sugar and even cooks like sugar. If you look at it under a microscope, it’s hard to tell it’s not the sweet stuff itself.
Tagatose, sold under the brand name Naturlose, has just a third of the calories of sugar, doesn’t decay teeth and is safe for diabetics. And unlike most sugar substitutes, it’s a natural product.
Jim Wormell believes it’s the answer for those in the candy business who have been searching for a way to make healthier candies. “We’ve pretty much replaced sugar in our home,” Wormell says.
He’s also using the sugar substitute to make toffees and brittles for The Village Toffee Haus, the 12-year-old business he runs with his wife Linda. They’re still experimenting with their fudge recipes to come up with a sugar-free version.
The Wormells began tracking tagatose a few years ago when it was still wending its way through the Food and Drug Administration’s approval system. It was given approval to be used in some products in 2001.
“I have noticed when we make candy with it, it is a little more delicate than sugar and it is a little more temperature-sensitive … and a little bit more susceptible to scorching,” Wormell says.
Tagatose is about 92 percent as sweet as sugar and has only 38 percent of the calories. It’s naturally occurring in some dairy products and manufacturers process it from whey. You can find it on the market in toothpastes and the 7-Eleven Diet Pepsi Slurpee.
It can be substituted cup for cup for regular sugar and tastes almost as sweet. During an informal taste test, people had trouble telling the difference between the Toffee Haus’ regular toffees and those sweetened with tagatose (the toffee is still coated with chocolates sweetened by sugar, although Wormell is hopeful that will change soon as chocolate manufacturers become aware of tagatose).
Wormell said he’s excited about the potential for the sugar alternative, not just for diabetics, but anyone who is concerned about their health and weight.
“It’s really for anybody who is looking for a more natural healthy alternative to sugar,” he says.
The Village Toffee Haus, based in Colville, sells the sugar substitute in bulk 1-pound and 4-pound bags along with its toffees and brittles. To order, go to www.toffeehaus.com or call (509) 685-2127.
Pizza with a heart
Have a heart for the children of Shriners Hospital.
Starting Friday, Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza will offer heart-shaped pizza to help raise money for the local hospital, which provides specialized medical care for children in need.
For every pizza sold, Boston’s will donate $1 to the hospital. Customers can also donate money to the effort by buying a paper heart at the restaurant for $1. Last year, $439 was raised for the hospital. Since 1992, Boston’s has raised more than $1.2 million for charities with its annual Valentine’s heart pizza sales.
Boston’s Pizza is located at 14004 E. Indiana Ave.