Allulose (D-Psicose)

Allulose (D-Psicose) is a rare monosaccharide sugar that occurs naturally in trace amounts in foods like figs, raisins, and wheat, but is commercially produced via enzymatic epimerization of fructose. It is structurally identical to fructose except for the orientation of a single hydroxyl group at the C-3 position, which renders it largely non-metabolizable — the body absorbs but does not convert it to energy, and the FDA uniquely permits it to be excluded from 'Added Sugars' labeling. Formulators choose allulose for its clean, sucrose-like sweetness profile (approximately 70% the sweetness of sucrose), its ability to contribute mouthfeel and body, its pronounced freezing-point depression (useful in frozen applications), and its mild hygroscopic character that provides gentle humectancy in both food and topical contexts.