Question

According to sweetness Index (SI), the value of 1.0 is given to ______________ which is taken as a reference value for comparison with other carbohydrates.

• A. Glucose
• B. Sucrose
• C. Dextrin
• D. Galactose

Hint:

Always remember that table sugar (sucrose) is the universal biological baseline (1.0 or 100) for sweetness. Fructose is the sweetest naturally occurring monosaccharide, while lactose and galactose are among the least sweet.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The sweetness index (SI) is a physiological scale used in food science to compare the relative sweetness of different sugars and sugar alcohols.
To establish a standardized comparison, a common carbohydrate is assigned a baseline reference value of 1.0 (or 100 on a percentage scale).
The sweetness of all other sweet-tasting compounds is evaluated relative to this standard under controlled sensory panel conditions.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Sucrose, commonly known as table sugar, is a disaccharide composed of glucose and fructose.
It is universally accepted as the baseline reference carbohydrate with a sweetness index value of exactly 1.0.
The relative sweetness values of other common sugars on this scale are:
- Fructose: Approximately 1.2 to 1.7 (sweeter than sucrose).
- Glucose: Approximately 0.7 to 0.8 (less sweet than sucrose).
- Galactose: Approximately 0.3 to 0.35 (significantly less sweet than sucrose).
- Dextrin: Extremely low, often close to 0, because it is a complex polysaccharide.
Therefore, because sucrose serves as the sensory benchmark for formulating food products and sweetening agents, it is assigned the index value of 1.0.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The carbohydrate assigned a sweetness index value of 1.0 as a reference standard is Sucrose.