Sugar alcohol key characteristics

A table summarizing sugar alcohol key characteristics

Property

Erythritol

Xylitol

Sorbitol

Molecular structure

Chemical formula

CH₁₀O

CH₁₂O

CH₁₄O

Molecular weight

120.11 g/mol

152.14 g/mol

182.17 g/mol

Discovered

1848

1891

1852

First commercial use

1990s

1960s

1920s

Appearance

White, crystalline powder

White, crystalline powder

White, crystalline powder

Melting point

121 °C

92 °C

95 °C

Solubility in water

Very soluble

Highly soluble

Highly soluble

Sweetness (relative to sucrose)

60-70%

100%

60%

Calories per gram

0.24

2.4

2.6

Glycemic index (GI)

0

7

9

Hygroscopicity

Low

Medium

High

Tooth-friendliness

Good

Good

Less effective

Digestive impact

Minimal (may cause bloating in some)

May cause gas and diarrhea

Can cause gastrointestinal distress

Strength of calcium complexes

+

++

+++

Approximate number of PubMed articles

~10 200

~36 700

~30 600

Manufacturing process

Fermentation of carbohydrates like glucose or sucrose using specific yeasts.

Hemicellulose extraction from plant, hydrolysis, xylose hydrogenation

Hydrogenation of glucose (primarily) or, in some cases, fructose.

The Annual production (tons/year)

85 000 (2019)

200 000 (2019)

1 850 000 (2015)

Market size value million USD / year

373 (2019)

670 (2019)

1700 - 2100 (2021)

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