E968 - Erythritol

At a glance

• What it is: a four‑carbon sugar alcohol (polyol) used as a sweetener and moisture‑keeper
• How sweet: roughly 60–70% as sweet as table sugar
• Calories: counts as 0 kcal per gram on EU labels
• Taste and use: clean sweetness, no bitterness, works in baking, confectionery, and drinks
• Typical products: sugar‑free gum, candies, chocolate, baked goods, beverages, and tabletop blends
• Caution: like other polyols, large amounts may cause gastrointestinal discomfort in some people
• Regulation: permitted in the EU as E968; specifications and purity are defined in EU law

Why is Erythritol added to food?

Food makers use erythritol to sweeten while cutting sugar and calories, and to add bulk and texture that high‑intensity sweeteners alone cannot provide. In the EU, erythritol has an energy value of 0 kcal/g for nutrition labeling, which helps reduce declared calories in reformulated foods.¹ When polyols like erythritol are used to replace sugars, the resulting foods lead to a lower rise in blood glucose compared with sugar‑containing versions.²

Beyond sweetness, erythritol helps retain moisture (humectancy), improves mouthfeel in reduced‑sugar chocolates and baked goods, and supports structure in sugar‑reduced recipes.

What foods contain Erythritol?

Erythritol shows up in many “sugar‑free” or “reduced sugar” products, such as:

• Chewing gum and mints
• Hard and soft candies, chocolates, and fillings
• Cakes, cookies, brownies, and frostings
• Flavored dairy and non‑dairy desserts
• Ready‑to‑drink beverages and powdered drink mixes
• Tabletop sweeteners, often blended with high‑intensity sweeteners like steviol glycosides, sucralose, aspartame, or acesulfame K

It is also used alongside other polyols such as xylitol, sorbitol, isomalt, and maltitol to fine‑tune sweetness, texture, and digestive tolerance.

What can replace Erythritol?

• Other polyols (for bulk sweetness): xylitol, sorbitol, isomalt, maltitol, mannitol
• High‑intensity sweeteners (for sweetness only; usually need a bulking agent too): steviol glycosides, sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame K
• Bulking agents and fibers (for body and texture): polydextrose or starch‑based systems

Swapping erythritol may change taste, texture, browning, and digestive tolerance, so formulators often blend ingredients to balance these factors.

How is Erythritol made?

Commercial erythritol is produced by fermenting a carbohydrate source (such as glucose) with specific microorganisms, then purifying and crystallizing the product to high purity.³ Its identity, purity criteria, and manufacturing specifications are laid down in EU law for food additives.³

Is Erythritol safe to eat?

In the EU, erythritol is authorized as E968 under the general food additives regulation, meaning it can be used in many categories within the applicable rules.⁴ As with all polyols, EU labeling requires the statement “excessive consumption may produce laxative effects” on foods containing more than 10% added polyols, reflecting possible gastrointestinal effects at high intakes.¹

Research on erythritol continues. A 2023 observational study reported that higher blood levels of erythritol were associated with increased risk of certain cardiovascular events in people already at elevated risk; the study also included laboratory findings that erythritol can influence platelet function under test conditions.⁵ This type of study cannot prove cause and effect, and regulatory assessments to date have permitted erythritol’s use. If you have cardiovascular disease or blood‑clotting concerns, discuss your personal diet choices with your healthcare provider.

Does Erythritol have any benefits?

• Sugar reduction with minimal taste trade‑off: it provides bulk and sweetness to replace part of the sugar in recipes.
• Calorie reduction on EU labels: it counts as 0 kcal/g for nutrition labeling.¹
• Glycemic impact: when polyols substitute for sugars in foods, they produce a lower post‑meal blood glucose rise than sugar‑containing versions.²

Who should avoid Erythritol?

• People who are sensitive to polyols may experience bloating or laxative effects if they consume large amounts (a risk that applies to polyols in general). Products with more than 10% added polyols in the EU must warn about possible laxative effects.¹
• Anyone advised by a healthcare professional to limit polyols or manage specific gastrointestinal conditions should check labels and moderate intake.

Myths & facts

• Myth: “Erythritol is a high‑intensity sweetener.” Fact: It is a bulk sweetener (a polyol) with about 60–70% the sweetness of sugar, so it often needs blending for equal sweetness.
• Myth: “It always upsets your stomach.” Fact: Tolerance varies by person and amount; EU law only requires a laxative warning when foods contain more than 10% added polyols.¹
• Myth: “It raises blood sugar like sugar does.” Fact: When polyols replace sugars in foods, the post‑meal blood glucose rise is lower than with sugar‑containing foods.²

Erythritol in branded foods

You’ll commonly see erythritol:

• In “sugar‑free” gums, mints, and candies for bulk sweetness and a clean taste
• In chocolate and bakery items to cut sugar while keeping texture
• In drink mixes and flavored beverages to lower added sugars
• In tabletop sweetener blends marketed as “stevia” or “monk fruit,” where erythritol provides body and disperses the high‑intensity sweetener

References

Footnotes

1. Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (Annexes III and XIV) — EUR-Lex. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32011R1169 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

2. Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 establishing a list of permitted health claims (polyols and post‑prandial glycaemic response) — EUR-Lex. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32012R0432 ↩ ↩² ↩³

3. Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 laying down specifications for food additives (entry for E 968, erythritol) — EUR-Lex. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32012R0231 ↩ ↩²

4. Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives (authorised additives; Union list) — EUR-Lex. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32008R1333 ↩

5. Witkowski M, Nemet I, et al. The artificial sweetener erythritol and cardiovascular event risk — Nature Medicine (2023). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02223-1 ↩