Erythritol

• BPErythritol
• Ph. Eur.Erythritol
• USP–NFErythritol

1,2,3,4-butanetetrol; erythrite; erythritolum; meso-erythritol; tetrahydroxybutane; Zerose; E968

(2R,3S)-Butane-1,2,3,4-tetrol · [149-32-6]

UNII RA96B954X6 · PubChem CID 222285

C4H10O4 · 122.12

Sweetening agent, Diluent (filler)

Typical concentrations: — · Dosage forms: Solid

Erythritol is used as a bulk sweetener and as a filler in tablets, especially chewable and orally disintegrating tablets, sugar-free lozenges and medicated chewing gum; directly compressible granulated grades are available and it may make up the bulk of such tablets. It has about 60–70% of the sweetness of sucrose and is often combined with intense sweeteners to round off the taste. It is also widely used in foods and beverages as a low-calorie, non-cariogenic sweetener.

A four-carbon sugar alcohol (polyol) that occurs naturally in some fruits and fermented foods. It is a white, odourless, crystalline powder or granules with a clean sweet taste and a marked cooling sensation in the mouth.

Melting point

about 119–123 °C

Solubility

freely soluble in water; slightly soluble in ethanol; practically insoluble in ether

Heat of solution

strongly negative (endothermic), giving a pronounced cooling effect

Hygroscopicity

very low; takes up little moisture even at high relative humidity

Relative sweetness

about 0.6–0.7 × sucrose

Erythritol is stable to heat and over a wide pH range, and because it is not a reducing sugar it does not take part in Maillard browning. Store in a well-closed container in a cool, dry place.

No significant incompatibilities are known; avoid contact with strong oxidising agents.

Produced commercially by fermentation of glucose, usually obtained from enzymatically hydrolysed starch, with osmophilic yeasts. The erythritol is separated from the broth, purified and crystallised.

Most of an oral dose is absorbed in the small intestine and excreted unchanged in the urine, so it provides almost no energy, does not raise blood glucose or insulin and is not fermented by oral bacteria. It is better tolerated than other polyols, but large single doses can cause nausea, flatulence or a laxative effect. EFSA re-evaluated erythritol in 2023 and set a numerical ADI, with gastrointestinal effects as the critical end-point.

Observe normal precautions for the quantity handled. Avoid generating dust; eye protection and gloves are recommended.

Has GRAS status in the USA for use in foods. Accepted as a food additive in Europe (E968), and evaluated by JECFA. Used in oral pharmaceutical products.

Isomalt; maltitol; mannitol; sorbitol; xylitol.

The combination of a cooling mouthfeel, very low hygroscopicity and good chemical inertness makes erythritol attractive for chewable tablets, ODTs and products for diabetic patients. Ungranulated crystalline material compresses poorly, so granulated or co-processed grades are normally used for direct compression.