Xylitol

Erythritol  is a sugar alcohol (or polyol) which has been approved for use as a food additive in the United States and throughout much of the world. At the industrial level Sweeteners, it is produced from glucose by fermentation with a yeast, Moniliella pollinis.

Under U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) labeling requirements, it has a caloric value of 0.2 kilocalories per gram  though nutritional labeling varies from country to country. Some countries like Japan label it as zero-calorie, while European Union regulations currently label it and all other sugar alcohols at 2.4 kcal/g.

Erythritol is absorbed into the bloodstream in the small intestine, and then for the most part excreted unchanged in the urine.Because erythritol is normally absorbed before it enters the large intestine, it does not normally cause laxative effects as are often experienced after consumption of other sugar alcohols.

Erythritol is generally free of side-effects in regular use, but if consumed in large quantities,effectively consuming it faster than one's body can absorb it, a laxative effect may result.Erythritol, when compared with other sugar alcohols, is also much more difficult for intestinal bacteria to digest, so it is unlikely to cause gas or bloating.

Erythritol has a strong cooling effect when it dissolves in water food additives, which is often combined with the cooling effect of mint flavors but proves distracting with more subtle flavors and textures.This is particularly pronounced in chocolate bars made with erythritol.The cooling effect of erythritol is very similar to that of xylitol and among the strongest cooling effects of all sugar alcohols.

Other food additives:Stevia             Xylitol         Vitamin B12