Erythritol

Free of: Added sugar, soy, dairy, yeast, gluten and additives.

What is Erythritol?  Erythritol is a chemical compound, a sugar alcohol (or polyol), used as a food additive and sugar substitute. It is naturally occurring and is made from corn using enzymes and fermentation. Its formula is C₄H₁₀O₄, or HO(CH₂)(CHOH)₂(CH₂)OH; specifically, one particular stereoisomer with that formula. Erythritol is 60–70% as sweet as sucrose (table sugar), yet it is almost noncaloric.

History of Erythritol  Erythritol was discovered in 1848 by Scottish chemist John Stenhouse. Erythritol was first isolated in 1852. In 1950 it was found in blackstrap molasses that was fermented by yeast, and it became commercialized as a sugar alcohol in the 1990s in Japan.

Uses of Erythritol  Since 1990, erythritol has had a history of safe use as a sweetener and flavor-enhancer in food and beverage products, and is approved for use by government regulatory agencies of more than 60 countries. Beverage categories for its use are coffee and tea, liquid dietary supplements, juice blends, soft drinks, and flavored water product variations, with foods including confections, biscuits and cookies, tabletop sweeteners, and sugar-free chewing gum.