Disclosed are a method for the reduction of an oligosaccharide mixture
and an oligosaccharide mixture prepared thereby. In accordance with the disclosed
invention, a mixture of oligosaccharides having a given DP profile is reduced to
a DE of essentially zero by catalytically hydrogenating the mixture under reaction
conditions sufficient to preserve the DP profile of the mixture, which reaction
conditions typically include a reaction temperature ranging from about 50
C. to about 150 C. and a reaction pressure of at least about 1500 psi. Surprisingly,
when the mixture is a malto-oligosaccharide mixture, the reduced mixture will have
a superior color-fastness and thermal stability as compared to a similar unreduced
mixture of malto-oligosaccharides, and also low reactivity towards nitrogen-containing species.
