Course:FNH200/Assignments/2021/Hershey's Syrup vs. Hershey's Syrup Sugar Free

Introduction

Hershey's Syrup & Hershey's Syrup Sugar Free

Hershey's Syrup is a popular chocolate flavored syrup that has a rich chocolate flavor and can be used in many recipes. It is also a fat-free, gluten-free and kosher dairy product. The Hershey company also launch the sugar free version for more choices for their customers.

Our team aims to compare these two different versions of Hershey's syrup.

Pictures of the Products

Image 1: Hershey's Syrup

Image 2: Hershey's Syrup Sugar Free

Ingredient lists

1. Ingredients

Image 3: Ingredients & Nutrition facts of Hershey's Syrup

Image 4: Ingredients & Nutrition facts of Hershey's Syrup Sugar Free

Hershey's Syrup	Hershey's Syrup Sugar Free
High fructose corn syrup Corn syrup Water Cocoa Sugar Potassium sorbate Salt Mono- and diglycerides Xanthan gum Polysorbate 60 Vanillin Artificial flavor	Water Cocoa processed with alkali Glycerin Erythritol Contains 2% or less of: sodium acid sulfate Natural flavor & artificial flavor Xanthan gum Salt Potassium sorbate Sodium benzoate Acesulfame potassium Zinc sulfate Vitamin E acetate Niacinamide Biotin

2. Substitutes & Additives used

	Hershey's Syrup	Hershey's Syrup Sugar Free
Sugar Substitutes	None	Erythritol Sucralose Acesulfame potassium
Fat Substitutes	None	None
Additives	Potassium sorbate Mono- and diglycerides Xanthan gum Polysorbate 60	Sodium acid sulfate Xanthan gum Potassium sorbate Sodium benzoate Glycerin

Hershey's Syrup

Sugar substitutes: None

Fat substitutes: None

Additives:

• Potassium sorbate: it is a synthetically salt, that it is always used as the preservative for food products. It is odorless and tasteless. In Canada, it is the same with sorbic acid, which is usually added into jams, juice, jelly and syrup.
• Mono- and diglycerides: They are chemical additives which are play the roles of emulsifiers, which means that would promote the formation of emulsions and help oil and water blend together. Also, they can improve texture and stability and extend the shelf life, because they can control separation of oil. In Canada, they are usually used in bread, ice cream, and chocolate products.  
• Xanthan gum: it is one kinds of polysaccharide which is commonly used as additives in today’s food products. It is produced by bacteria, and it is always be added into ice cream, cheese and salad dressings in Canada. Similar with other polysaccharide, xanthan gum can increase thickness and viscosity of food products, and this is why it is added into chocolate syrup as stabilizer.
• Polysorbate 60: it is a hydrophilic nonionic surfactant, so it is always added into food products to be the emulsifier, dispersing agent and stabilizer. In Canada, it is a popular food additive, which would like to be used into producing of cake, cream and soup mix.

Hershey's Syrup Sugar Free

Sugar substitutes:

• Erythritol: it is one kind of sugar alcohols and it is a low-calorie sweetener. It has similar functions and characteristics with other sugar-alcohols, including maltitol, sorbitol, mannitol, isoamyl, xylitol. More than providing sweet flavor, erythritol would to provide cool-refreshing sensation. Even it is less sweet than sucrose, it is used into food products, because it will not cause other health problems, including tooth decay, increasing of blood glucose or insulin levels. Nowadays, it is used to make chewing gums, candies and frozen desserts.
• Sucralose: it is one kind of non-caloric sweeteners. It is 600 times sweeter than sucrose. Also, it cannot be digested by human body, with means that it contributes to 0Cal/g, it plays an important role as sugar substitute in food industry. What is more, it is easy to be stored because it is heat stable, and it will not increase the blood glucose and insulin levels. In Canada, it is always be used into canned fruit, fruit drink and maple syrup.
• Acesulfame potassium: it is a commonly-used sweeter, with 200 times sweeter than sucrose, but it is also used for sour taste as well. similar with sucralose, acesulfame potassium is unable to be metabolized by human body. Also, it is heat stable and will not cause oral bacteria. In Canada, it is always used into baked goods, candies and canned goods.

Fat substitutes: None

Additives:

• Xanthan gum: it is one kinds of polysaccharide which is commonly used as additives in today’s food products. It is produced by bacteria, and it is always be added into ice cream, cheese and salad dressings in Canada. Similar with other polysaccharide, xanthan gum can increase thickness and viscosity of food products, and this is why it is added into chocolate syrup as stabilizer.
• Potassium sorbate: it is a synthetically salt, that it is always used as the preservative for food products. It is odorless and tasteless. In Canada, it is the same with sorbic acid, which is usually added into jams, juice, jelly and syrup.
• Sodium acid sulfate: it is a natural acid with low pH. It is added into food to improve its acidity, in order to preserve the food and expend the shelf life. In the additive list of Food and Drug Regulations, it has another name of sodium bisulphate, which is always used into ale, beer and some bakery products.
• Sodium benzoate: it is a popular food additive which is an odorless, crystalline powder. It is added into food products, because it has a good preservative function and is able to extend the shelf life of food products. In Canada, it is same with benzoic acid, with is always used during the production of jam, juice and margarine.
• Glycerin: it is one kind of sugar alcohol and always be used into food to help retain moister, prevent sugar crystallization, as well as add bulk, smoothness, softness, sweetness and texture. In Canada, it is considered as a food additive with the name glycerol, and used to make flavor and color mixture. However, in other countries, glycerin would like to be consider as a kind of sugar substitute because it can increase sweetness.

4. Compare & Contrast

Similarity: water, cocoa, salt, xanthan gum, potassium sorbate, artificial flavor

Difference: first of all, for Hershey’s sugar free syrup, there are extra substitutes compared with Hershey’s syrup, including of erythritol, glycerin, sucralose and acesulfame potassium, in order to decrease the sugar content and achieve the goal of sugar-free. Also, although both of these two chocolate syrups do not contain fat substitute, the cocoa in Hershey’s sugar free syrup is processed with alkali, which is a chemical processing to adda a negligible amount of fat, in order to lower the fat content. What is more important, these two chocolate syrups used different food additives. For the difference, there is mono- and diglycerides and polysorbate 60 in Hershey’s syrup. Both mono- and diglycerides and polysorbate 60 are used as emulsifier. There is sodium acid sulfate and sodium benzoate and glycerin in Hershey’s sugar free syrup. Both sodium acid sulfate and sodium benzoate are used for preservative, and glycerin is used for retaining moisture.

Labels

	Hershey's Syrup & Hershey's Syrup Sugar Free
Common Name	It is commonly known as Hershey’s Syrup and Hershey’s Syrup Sugar Free
Bilingualism	Both of the products only contains English labels since they are produced from an US food company
Country of Origin	It is not mandatory for this type of food products, so it is not on the labels
Date Markings & Storage Instructions	There is a best before date on the label at the back, below the ingredients Products need to be kept in the fridge once opened or it has a tendency to go bad The shelf life is 2-3 years if the syrup is refrigerated after opening since
Name & Principle Place of Business	The principal place of business is in Pennsylvania, United States Canada imports the syrup and the imports are valued at 592.82 million dollars
Legibility & Location	The information on the label can be easily read and the product is easily available in Canada
Net Quantity	The net weight 24 OZ (1LB 8OZ), 680g and is declared on the front label for both the sugar free and the normal flavour bottles.
Nutrition Facts	The table contains the required information such as (calories, fat (saturated and trans fat), cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate, fibre, sugar, protein, calcium, iron, and vitamin A/C) Can bee seen in Image 3 & 4
Irradiation	Products are not irradiated, so it is not on the labels
List of Ingredients and Allergens	List of ingredients can bee seen in Image 3 & 4 Products will not cause allergies
Sweeteners	Clearly identified in the list of ingredients, and can bee seen in Image 3 & 4
Food Additives	Clearly identified in the list of ingredients, and can bee seen in Image 3 & 4
Claim and Statements	There have not been any nutrient content or diet related claims for the two products that we used for this assignment However, in 2012, FDA warned Hershey's that its labels for "Hershey's Syrup+Calcium" and "Hershey's Syrup Sugar Free with Vitamin and Mineral Fortification" are misbranded because they don't meet the nutritional requirements to make such claims.

The information that is stated above complies with the regulatory requirements as we have learned in lesson 4. The bottle has a list of ingredients, date of expiry and much more detailed information about the product.

References

This Food Science resource was created by Course:FNH200.