Property |
Erythritol |
Xylitol |
Sorbitol |
Molecular structure |
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Chemical formula |
C₄H₁₀O₄ |
C₅H₁₂O₅ |
C₆H₁₄O₆ |
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) |