Sugar alcohols: caloric content and regulatory status
| Sugar alcohol . | Caloric content (kcal/g) . | FDA designation . |
|---|---|---|
| Erythritol | 0.2 | GRAS affirmation petition accepted for filing |
| Hydrogenated starch hydrolysates | 3.0 | GRAS affirmation petitions accepted for filing |
| Isomalt | 2.0 | GRAS affirmation petition accepted for filing |
| Lactitol | 2.0 | GRAS affirmation petition accepted for filing |
| Maltitol | 3.0 | GRAS affirmation petition accepted for filing |
| Mannitol* | 1.6 | Food additive permitted in food or in contact with food on an interim basis pending additional study |
| Sorbitol* | 2.6 | Affirmed as GRAS |
| Xylitol | 2.4 | Food additive permitted for direct addition to food for human consumption |
| Sugar alcohol . | Caloric content (kcal/g) . | FDA designation . |
|---|---|---|
| Erythritol | 0.2 | GRAS affirmation petition accepted for filing |
| Hydrogenated starch hydrolysates | 3.0 | GRAS affirmation petitions accepted for filing |
| Isomalt | 2.0 | GRAS affirmation petition accepted for filing |
| Lactitol | 2.0 | GRAS affirmation petition accepted for filing |
| Maltitol | 3.0 | GRAS affirmation petition accepted for filing |
| Mannitol* | 1.6 | Food additive permitted in food or in contact with food on an interim basis pending additional study |
| Sorbitol* | 2.6 | Affirmed as GRAS |
| Xylitol | 2.4 | Food additive permitted for direct addition to food for human consumption |
Caloric content based on Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, “The evaluation of the energy of certain polyols used as food ingredients,” June 1994, (unpublished), and Life Sciences Research Office: “Evaluation of the net energy value of maltitol,” April 1999 (unpublished).
“Excess consumption may have a laxative effect” must be on label for foods whose reasonably foreseeable consumption may result in the daily ingestion of 20 g mannitol or 50 g sorbitol.