Erythritol

Erythritol ((2R,3S)-butane-1,2,3,4-tetraol) is a sugar alcohol (or polyol) that has been approved for use as a food additive in the United States^[1] and throughout much of the world. It was discovered in 1848 by British chemist John Stenhouse.^[2] It occurs naturally in some fruits and fermented foods.^[3] At the industrial level, it is produced from glucose by fermentation with a yeast, Moniliella pollinis.^[1] It is 60–70% as sweet as table sugar yet it is almost noncaloric, does not affect blood sugar, does not cause tooth decay, and is partially absorbed by the body, excreted in urine and feces. It is less likely to cause gastric side effects than other sugar alcohols due to its unique digestion pathway. Under U.S. Food and Drug Administration(FDA) labeling requirements, it has a caloric value of 0.2 kilocalories per gram (95% less than sugar and other carbohydrates), though nutritional labeling varies from country to country. Some countries, such as Japan and the United States, label it as zero-calorie, while European Unionregulations currently label it and all other sugar alcohols at 2.4 kcal/g."

"Erythritol has a strong cooling effect (endothermic, or positive heat of solution)^[9] when it dissolves in water, which is often combined with the cooling effect of mint flavors, but proves distracting with more subtle flavors and textures. The cooling effect is only present when erythritol is not already dissolved in water, a situation that might be experienced in an erythritol-sweetened frosting, chocolate bar, chewing gum, or hard candy. When combined with solid fats, such as coconut oil, cocoa butter, or cow's butter, the cooling effect tends to accentuate the waxy characteristics of the fat in a generally undesirable manner.^{[citation needed]} This is particularly pronounced in chocolate bars made with erythritol.^{[citation needed]} The cooling effect of erythritol is very similar to that of xylitol and among the strongest cooling effects of all sugar alcohols."