IMO: What is it, and its function in food manufacturing
IMO stands for isomalto-oligosaccharide. It is made up of short-chain carbohydrates and is a syrup high in maltose. IMO can be found in some whole foods naturally like kimchi and fermented sourdough, but it is also manufactured and added to processed foods. Recently, IMO has been the go-to ingredient in items like protein bars as a way to make processed foods healthier. When advertised, it is sold as a zero-calorie, sweet-tasting prebiotic fibre that doesn’t affect blood sugar levels.
Humans seeking sugar
Thanks to evolution, it is human nature to seek out calorie-dense, sugary and sweet foods for energy. In the past, sugar was not commonly found. It was only available in the form of honey and ripe fruits.
Around 15 million years ago, our ancestors suffered a time of dire starvation as the earth went through a period of cooling. At this time, a genetic mutation meant people were much more sensitive to fructose, making even tiny amounts stored in the body as fat. This was probably a way of surviving: by eating fructose, people wouldn’t starve to death. Since our hunter-gather relatives became predisposed to seek out sugar for survival, we evolved to release dopamine, the “feel-good” chemical, after consuming it.
Nowadays, however, we have sugar in abundance: processed foods, foods with a high sugar content, sugar-containing beverages. It is available everywhere, which has led to a huge rise in metabolic disease and obesity. These problems have led people to seek alternatives like IMO.
Why do products contain IMO?
It’s generally no surprise to many people just how much sugar processed foods contain. This is why there has been a huge rise in the amount of healthier snacking options available. Manufacturers started using IMO to create high-protein, low-carb energy bars.
The beauty of IMO is that it tastes sweet but doesn’t have as many calories as sugar. What’s more, it is a source of prebiotic fibre that works without adding to the food’s net carbohydrate value. Comparatively, IMO has a sweetness of around 60% of sucrose (sugar), and it can’t replace sugar in a one-to-one ratio.
How is IMO manufactured?
The food and drink industries source and process starch from cereal crops like barley, wheat, pulses, tapioca, oats, potato, and rice. Varying the sources of IMO means that there are different options for manufacturers to make products free from allergens like gluten.
The benefits of IMO as an ingredient
IMO has a positive health effect on the human digestive system. It works as a prebiotic, decreases flatulence, prevents tooth decay, and has a low glycemic index. IMO is either in syrup form or powder form.
How to use IMO syrup or powder
IMO can be used as a sweetener in drinks or foods. For example, you can use it to sweeten yogurt, as a topping for porridge or pancakes and in baking.
One great thing about IMO products is that they fit so many people’s lifestyles. They are keto-friendly, gluten-free, diabetic-friendly, halal, kosher, and vegan!
IMO confusion
During digestion, IMO doesn’t degrade. In fact, it reaches the colon relatively unaffected by the process of digestion. However, there are articles and blog posts that claim the reverse is true. This is because manufacturers use the name IMO incorrectly when labelling products that also contain non-fibre sources of carbohydrates.
Sometimes there can be between 10% and 50% of other carbohydrates in the ingredients, which means that there are still substances that break down and turn into glucose. This then causes the blood sugar to rise and adds calories. The IMO, on the other hand, passes through the system unchanged.
Sources of IMO and its preparation
One source of IMO is the cassava plant, which is also known as yucca or manioc. The plant’s roots are used as a food source for millions of people worldwide.
The cassava is peeled and mashed, causing two of its main substances to come together, forming hydrogen cyanide. Finally, the mash is cooked so that the poison is removed.
The next step transforms the cassava mash into tapioca and manioc flour. The cassava mash is dissolved in water and then compressed. The water that is squeezed out is heated up so that the water evaporates and leaves tapioca. The dry substance that is left from the compression is manioc flour.
Making IMO from tapioca
To make IMO from tapioca, it is dissolved in water and enzymes, acid, or both are added. The mixture is heated, causing long glucose chains to break into smaller chains. This process ends with a syrup. The syrup consists of maltose, glucose, malt oligosaccharides, and maltodextrin. The aim is to end up with more malt oligosaccharides than anything else. Often, yeast is added to feed on the glucose and rid the mixture of it. Enzymes are used to change the molecule bonds so that they’re not broken down in the digestive tract.
Cleanbarks IMO Syrup and Powder
At Cleanbarks, we’re proud of our IMO syrup and powder and have a variety of composition grades and options. We understand the importance of a quality product and have grades that won’t cause spikes in insulin.
Final thoughts
The vast majority of people know that humans today eat way too much sugar and confectionery. Of course, we have evolution to thank for that as the human race struggled through periods of starvation that led us to seek out (and crave) sweet foods! However, many people are now beginning to seek alternative ways of satisfying their sweet cravings without consuming sugar. As we’ve seen, IMO products offer a solution. Not only do they taste sweet, but they are not readily absorbed in the digestive tract. What’s more, they are a prebiotic fibre too.
While the process of making IMO syrups and powders can seem complicated, understanding its uses and using it isn’t. IMO syrups and powders are around half the sweetness of sugar; it’s easy to experiment and find something that works for you and satisfies that sweet craving in a much healthier way.
