Method for producing a stable fructooligosaccharide composition, fructooligosaccharide composition, and use thereof

A method for producing a stable fructooligosaccharide (FOS) composition, comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a raw material containing sucrose;
• b) forming an aqueous mixture of the raw material with an enzyme, whereby the enzyme at least has fructosyltransferase activity;
• c) exposing the formed aqueous mixture to conditions whereby FOS-forming takes place until the amount of non-FOS carbohydrates in the mixture, constitute at most 50 wt. % of the total amount of carbohydrates in the mixture;
• e) chromatographically separating the non-FOS carbohydrates from the aqueous mixture using a resin, whereby organic acids and ions are formed and whereby the resin provides or facilitates the formation of at least part of the organic acids and ions, to yield a FOS-enriched stream containing at least 75 wt. % FOS relative to the total amount of carbohydrates in the aqueous mixture and a stream enriched in non-FOS carbohydrates, and whereby the FOS-enriched stream comprises between 1.2-8 g/kg dry matter of organic acids and ions, the organic acids comprising at least three of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid (PCA), lactate, acetate and formiate;
• and
• f) evaporating the FOS-enriched stream to yield a syrupy FOS composition of at least 65° Bx, wherein at least part or all of the organic acids and ions is formed during step e), and wherein, to form the FOS-enriched stream comprising between 1.2-8 g/kg dry matter of organic acids and ions, the FOS-enriched stream is brought to a pH within a range of 8.0 to 11.0 in step e).