Erythritol

Erythritol is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol found in small amounts in fermented foods, wine, beer, and some fruits including pears and watermelons. Commercially, it is produced by fermenting glucose with selected yeasts. As a food additive (E968), it is used as a low-calorie sweetener in sugar-free confectionery, beverages, chewing gum, and bakery products. It provides approximately 70% of the sweetness of sugar with only about 0.2 calories per gram — roughly one-twentieth the caloric value of sucrose — because it is almost entirely absorbed in the small intestine and excreted unchanged in urine.

JECFA evaluated erythritol in 1999 and did not establish a numerical ADI, placing it in the most favourable safety category. Unlike most other sugar alcohols, erythritol is absorbed before reaching the large intestine, which means it does not cause the fermentation-related bloating, gas, and laxative effects associated with sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol at higher doses.

Erythritol is approved in the EU (E968), the United States (GRAS), Japan, and most global markets. It is one of the most well-tolerated sugar alcohols and is widely used in diabetic-friendly and ketogenic products. A 2023 observational study reported an association between high blood erythritol levels and cardiovascular events; however, the study measured erythritol produced endogenously by the body rather than additive intake, and causality was not established. Regulatory bodies have not revised their positions as a result.