trehalose is used in foods as a sweetener, a stabilizer and thickener, and a flavor enhancer. it is also used as a cryopreservation additive, where it protects cells from the effects of freezing and drying. (synonyms: diglucose white, odorless, sweet-tasting powder. trehalose is a disaccharide, two simple sugars in one molecule. in trehalose(as in maltose), the two sugars are both glucose, is 45% as sweet as sugar, and has a very low hygroscopicity. trehalose has been proved form the abundant experimental results that trehalose can form a special protective layer around the protein and other biomolecules, efficiently protecting biologicals under harsh conditions such as hyperthermia, deep-coldness, hypertonia, dehydrating, and keep intact their biological characteristics. it can be widely used as biological protection agents, and finds its use in pharmaceuticals, food products, cosmetics specification of trehalose(for food use) molecular formula:c12h22o11.2h2o appearance: white crystal odor: sweet taste, virtually odor less assay: 98%min loss on drying: 1.5%max(60℃) total ash: 0.06%max lead: 1mg/kg max arsenic: 1 mg/kg max total aerobic counts: 300max cfu/g salmonella: nil