Definition:

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SWEETEST®Erythritol Health Benefits:

SWEETEST®Erythritol is a naturally occurring four-carbon sugar alcohol chemically designated as 1,2,3,4-butanetriol. It belongs to the category of polyol sweeteners. Its core characteristics include zero calories, high tolerability and a low glycaemic index (GI=0). Produced on an industrial scale via microbial fermentation, erythritol is widely used in sugar-free foods, beverages, health supplements, and related products.

■ Source

SWEETEST®Erythritol occurs naturally in trace amounts in fruits such as watermelons, pears and grapes, as well as in fungi, including mushrooms, and in fermented foods such as wine and soy sauce. Its concentration is extremely low (typically less than 0.1%), making direct extraction for industrial production impractical. The human body also produces small amounts of erythritol during metabolic processes, where it acts as an intermediate product of normal physiological metabolism. Currently, the primary synthetic source of erythritol involves microbial fermentation utilising glucose derived from hydrolysed corn starch as the core raw material. This is then converted through fermentation by specific bacterial strains.

Particularities of SWEETEST®Erythritol:

Product Specifications:

SWEETEST®Erythritol is available in the following specification and contents:

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☑ SWEETEST®Erythritol crystalline powder 99.5%-100.5%

Product quality standards:

● GB26404, Food grade, In-house

▶ Blood sugar management

▶ Weight management

SWEETEST®Erythritol Applications:

The food sector is the main market for SWEETEST®Erythritol as a healthy alternative to sugar. In sugar-free fizzy drinks and sparkling waters, it can fully replace sucrose at an addition of 3-8%, typically blended with stevia glycosides and monk fruit sugar at a ratio of 10:1 to enhance the harmony of sweetness. For example, Genki Forest sparkling water uses a combination of erythritol and stevia, achieving a calorie content of ≤5 kcal per 500 ml serving, and its low hygroscopicity prevents crystallisation within bottles. Tea beverages and plant-based milks: Adding 2-5% erythritol improves palatability by masking the bitterness of tea or the beaniness of plant milk. One oat milk product incorporating 3% erythritol has a GI value of ≤10, making it suitable for consumers who are conscious of their sugar intake, while maintaining stability after high-temperature sterilisation. Sports drinks/functional beverages: Blending with glucose and oligosaccharides (e.g. erythritol:glucose at a ratio of 1:2) provides rapid energy replenishment without causing blood sugar spikes. A sports drink containing 5% erythritol reduces post-exercise blood sugar fluctuations, and its refreshing taste quenches thirst. In baked goods, erythritol can replace 30%-70% of sucrose (at an addition of 5%-12%), utilising its low hygroscopicity to delay staling of bread and extend its shelf life by 2-3 days. Adding 4%-8% to biscuits enhances crispness while inhibiting moisture absorption and softening. In sugar-free biscuits, combining erythritol with dietary fibre (such as resistant dextrin) creates a refreshing, non-greasy texture that is ideal for consumers who are watching their weight. For hard/soft candies: Substituting 10%-20% of the sugar with erythritol prevents surface stickiness due to its low hygroscopicity, while remaining inaccessible to cariogenic bacteria.

Adding 10% erythritol to dark chocolate reduces its bitterness and calorie content. Adding 2-4% erythritol to freeze-dried fruit and yoghurt cubes enhances sweetness and protects the structure of the ingredients. Freeze-dried strawberries containing 3% erythritol have a balanced sweet-sour flavour and superior rehydration properties. In dairy and frozen foods: Add 1-3% without affecting probiotic activity (the survival rate of Bifidobacterium increases by 20%). Sugar-free yoghurt containing 2% erythritol has a GI value of ≤15 and an extended refrigerated shelf life of one month.

Health and dietary supplements precisely address health requirements. Meal replacement powders and nutrition bars that incorporate 5-10% sweeteners combined with dietary fibre (such as inulin) and white kidney bean extract provide a daily serving of 20-30g to reduce calorie intake by 100-150 kcal. A 1:3 ratio of erythritol to resistant dextrin in a meal replacement shake reduces postprandial blood glucose fluctuations by 70%. Adding 3-6% erythritol to vitamin C and mineral effervescent tablets enhances palatability and prevents blood sugar spikes. A diabetes-specific multivitamin supplement containing 4% erythritol (GI value=0) is suitable for long-term use. Blending it with probiotics (e.g. Lactobacillus rhamnosus) at a ratio of 20 parts erythritol to one part probiotic results in high tolerability, preventing gastrointestinal discomfort while protecting probiotic survival through gastric acid and achieving a 35% increase in survival rate. Dietary fibre supplements incorporating 2%-5% erythritol improve palatability. When blended with inulin and fructooligosaccharides, the incidence of bloating remains below 3% at daily intakes of up to 20 g, making them suitable for individuals with sensitive digestive systems. When blended with branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and glutamine at an addition of 8-12%, consumption within 30 minutes post-exercise enables rapid energy replenishment without increasing the blood glucose load. A sports energy gel containing 10% erythritol reduces fatigue recovery time by two hours. When added to enteral nutrition emulsions at a concentration of 1-3%, it provides gentle energy without causing gastrointestinal irritation, making it suitable for individuals with weaker digestive function. Daily intake of up to 15 g causes no intestinal discomfort.

Add 0.5-1% to your pet's main meals and treats to enhance their palatability. Its zero-calorie nature makes it suitable for overweight pets. A low-fat dog food containing 0.8% erythritol was found to reduce fat content by 25% while providing significant dental protection and reducing pet dental plaque by 30%. For obese or diabetic pets, adding 3-5% serves as an energy source without affecting blood glucose levels (the GI value is 0 for both dogs and cats). A hypoglycaemic pet supplement containing 4% erythritol and combined with veterinary metformin enhanced blood glucose control by 20%. Furthermore, when used as a sweetening excipient in tablets and granules (at a level of 5-10%), it masks the bitterness of medicines. Children's antibiotic granules containing 8% erythritol improved medication compliance by 60%. Incorporating 4-8% erythritol during the freeze-drying of vaccines and enzymes stabilises biomolecular structures. A flu vaccine containing 6% erythritol retained ≥90% of its activity after seven days at 37 °C.

Once in the human body, around 90% of SWEETEST®Erythritol is excreted in the urine, while the remaining 10% is minimally fermented by gut bacteria. As it has no impact on blood glucose or insulin levels, erythritol is an ideal sweetener for diabetics, individuals with insulin resistance, and those managing their sugar intake. Clinical studies indicate that replacing sucrose with erythritol can reduce postprandial blood glucose fluctuations by over 80%. The metabolism of erythritol imposes no burden as it requires no insulin-mediated processing and places no additional metabolic stress on the pancreas or liver. Long-term consumption may help maintain blood glucose homeostasis.

SWEETEST®Erythritol possesses negligible calories (approximately 0.2 kcal/g), amounting to merely 5% of sucrose's caloric content. Substituting sucrose with erythritol (such as replacing 50%-100% of sucrose in beverages or baking) can significantly reduce calorie intake. For instance, a 500ml cup of erythritol-sweetened beverage contains approximately 150 kcal less than its sucrose counterpart. Consistent long-term consumption may support weight reduction or maintenance. Erythritol offers 60%-70% of sucrose's sweetness, satisfying taste preferences while avoiding the caloric excess and fat accumulation associated with high-sugar diets due to its low-calorie profile.

▶ Protecting teeth

Cariogenic bacteria in the mouth, such as Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus, cannot break down SWEETEST®Erythritol to produce the acids that corrode tooth enamel (sucrose does this). Studies suggest that people who regularly consume erythritol may experience a 40% to 60% reduction in caries incidence and a 35% decrease in enamel demineralisation. Erythritol interferes with the adhesion process between these bacteria and tooth surfaces, thereby reducing plaque formation. Mouthwashes or chewing gum containing erythritol can reduce plaque biofilm formation by over 30%.

■ Physical and chemical properties

SWEETEST®Erythritol is a white, odourless, crystalline powder with a clean, sweet taste. It is highly soluble in water (with a solubility of approximately 37% at 20°C- significantly higher than the 16% solubility of xylitol), slightly soluble in ethanol and insoluble in diethyl ether. It is approximately 60-70% as sweet as sucrose and has a refreshing sensation with no aftertaste, which enhances the crispness of food products. It exhibits extremely low hygroscopicity, with a moisture absorption rate of less than 0.2% at 25°C and 90% relative humidity. It does not readily form lumps during storage and is highly stable. Its melting point is around 118-120°C and its boiling point is around 329-331°C (at atmospheric pressure). It remains stable at high temperatures, making it suitable for processing techniques such as baking and sterilisation. With a metabolic heat of merely 0.2 kcal/g (approximately 5% that of sucrose), it is a quintessential zero-calorie sweetener. It is chemically highly stable and does not decompose under acidic, alkaline or elevated temperature conditions (≤200°C), nor does it undergo Maillard reactions with amino acids or proteins in foodstuffs. This renders it suitable for diverse food processing applications.

■ Production technology characteristics

Currently, industrial production relies predominantly on microbial fermentation, which accounts for over 99% of global output. Core processes include the pretreatment of raw materials, microbial fermentation, extraction and purification, followed by crystallisation and drying. When maize starch is used as the feedstock, the liquefaction of α-amylase and the hydrolysis of saccharification enzymes yield a high-purity glucose solution (DE value ≥98%), which is used as the fermentation substrate. Fermentation typically uses mutant strains of Candida lipolytica or Saccharomyces cerevisiae to efficiently convert glucose into erythritol. The fermentation process is carried out at a temperature of 30-35°C and a pH of 5.0-6.0 for 48-72 hours, achieving a glucose conversion rate of 40-50%. The fermented broth is then filtered using a plate-and-frame filter or centrifuged to remove microbial cells and impurities. Activated carbon (0.5-1.0%) is then added and stirred at 60°C for 30 minutes before being filtered to eliminate pigments. Cation and anion exchange resins then remove metal ions, organic acids and other impurities to yield a sorbitol solution with a purity of ≥99%. Multi-effect evaporation or membrane concentration is then used to raise the sugar solution concentration to 70-80%. Seed crystals are then added to the crystallisation tank and stirred at 30-35°C for 24-36 hours to form uniform crystals. The crystals are then separated from the mother liquor (which can be recycled for fermentation) via centrifugation. The crystals then undergo air-flow drying at a temperature of ≤60°C, with the moisture content controlled to ≤0.5%. This yields a crystalline erythritol product with a purity of ≥99.5%.

☑ SWEETEST®Erythritol crystalline powder 99.5%-100.5%, organic

▶ Gut health

The human body absorbs around 90% of erythritol, which is significantly higher than the absorption rate of around 50% for xylitol. Consequently, the risk of gas production from intestinal fermentation and diarrhoea is extremely low. In healthy adults, a daily intake of less than 50 g results in an incidence rate of flatulence and diarrhoea below 5%, whereas xylitol may cause discomfort at just 20 g. Those intolerant to sugar alcohol sweeteners (such as sorbitol or mannitol) usually tolerate erythritol well, making it a suitable long-term everyday sweetener.