Erythritol, a filling sweetener, is a four-carbon sugar alcohol with the molecular formula C4H10O4. Erythritol is widely found in nature, such as in fungal mushrooms, melons, and fruits, animal eye crystals, blood plasma, and urine, and can be detected in small amounts in fermented foods wine, beer, and soy sauce.

The characteristics of erythritol: are small molecular weight, low hygroscopicity, low heat, high tolerance, cooling effect, anti-caries effect, and antioxidant effect.

1. Hygroscopicity

The hygroscopicity of erythritol is the smallest among sugar alcohols and sucrose and other sweeteners. In an environment with a temperature of 20 ℃ and relative humidity of 90%, the hygroscopicity gain after being placed for 5 days is about 40% for sorbitol, 17% for maltitol, 10% for sucrose, and less than 2% for erythritol.

2. Low Heat

The sweetness of erythritol is equivalent to 70% of sucrose, and the sweetness is pure and clear and has no post-bitterness, so it can be used as a sweetener, but the heat generated by erythritol is deficient, about 0-0.2 KCal/g, often used as a natural zero-calorie sweetener in health food (some drinks claiming 0 sugar are made of erythritol).

3. Cool Feeling

Because erythritol absorbs more heat (-43 KCal/g) in the process of dissolving in water, it has a unique refreshing taste, for example, erythritol is added to chewing gum to achieve the effect of excellent taste (both sweet and excellent, but also very low in calories).

4. High Tolerance

It can also be understood as safety, the tolerance amount for men is 0.68 g/kg, for women is 0.80 g/kg, and the tolerance amount for 50 kg women is 40 g/d, which is 2-3 times of xylitol, lactitol, maltitol and isomaltitol, and 3-4 times of sorbitol and mannitol.

5. Prevention of Dental Caries

Human oral bacteria do not use erythritol, thus it does not produce acidic substances that can cause tooth decay. It can also protect teeth.