There’s another natural sweet liquid that can play a role when switching out sweeteners in baked foods: inulin.

“Because of honey’s cost, a number of food processors are looking at inulin to extend it,” said Scott Turowski, technical sales, Sensus America, Inc., Lawrenceville, NJ. “It has mouthfeel, humectancy and functional properties like honey, although its flavor is not exactly the same.”

Extracted from chicory roots, a non-GMO source, the company’s Frutalose SF75 provides a light golden color that mimics honey. It is low in calories at 2 Cal per g. This liquid ingredient’s 75% soluble dietary fiber content provides an added nutritional benefit, especially when substituting for refined sugars and corn syrups. “You’re replacing a sugar with a fiber,” Mr. Turowski noted. “It is also an all-natural product and is consumer-friendly on labels.”

At 65% the sweetness of sucrose, Frutalose SF75 allows partial replacement of sugar, but it is also effective at reducing off-tastes associated with artificial sweeteners. Applications include meal-replacement, nutrition and sports bars as well as ready-to-eat breakfast cereals.