Sugars & Sweeteners
Trehalose in gelato
Trehalose is a non-reducing glucose-glucose disaccharide sold as a crystalline powder. In gelato it acts as a low-sweetness, high-solids sugar that depresses the freezing point almost exactly like sucrose while adding little perceived sweetness.
Balancing parameters
Per 100 g of product, verified against independent food-science sources (listed below).
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Solids | 95% |
| Water | 5% |
| Sugars | 95% |
| Fat | 0% |
| MSNF | 0% |
| Protein | 0% |
| POD (sweetening power) | 42.75 |
| PAC (anti-freezing power) | 95 |
Typical use: 2-8% of the total mix (commonly around 4%), used to replace part of the sucrose
Balance trehalose in a real recipe
Free balancer · no signup wall · watch PAC, POD and Total Solids update live as you add it.
Open the balancerHow to use it in gelato
Trehalose is a texture and stability sugar rather than a sweetener. Its PAC roughly equals sucrose (dry-basis 100), so it lowers the freezing point and keeps the mix scoopable, while its POD near 45 (about half of sucrose) lets you add solids and freezing-point depression without over-sweetening. This makes it valuable in sorbets and in dairy gelato where you want body and softness at controlled sweetness. It also has cryoprotective, anti-crystallization behaviour that supports a smooth mouthfeel. Its main limits are low solubility (it can recrystallize if overdosed) and relatively high cost.
Origin & background
Trehalose occurs naturally in mushrooms, yeast, and desiccation-tolerant organisms like tardigrades and the resurrection plant. Though known since the 19th century, it stayed a laboratory curiosity until 1994-1995, when Japan's Hayashibara Company developed an enzymatic process to make it cheaply from starch, opening its use in food.