Sugar Increases Shelf Life of Blood Products - KCBD NewsChannel 11 Lubbock

Tagatose, which looks like sugar but has fewer calories, is already approved for use in some items like toothpaste and pharmaceuticals. But now, new research indicates it may be more valuable at the blood bank.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine is exploring the use of tagatose, which is actually a sugar derived from some dairy products. And they've found that early tests show tagatose helps increase the shelf life of hemoglobin and blood products.