2. Sugars

The sugars used in cured meats are :

• dextrose ;

• sucrose ;

• glucose syrups with a dextrose equivalent (DE) greater than 20, resulting from the partial acid-enzymatic hydrolysis of cereal starches;

• lactose.

Thanks to their hydrophilic groups, sugars can bind significant quantities of water, as long as they are not involved in the transformation reactions that take place during the charcuterie production process (acidification, Maillard reactions , etc.). Their main functional roles concern...