Allervibe
E965
Maltitol
A sugar alcohol used as a bulk sweetener, almost as sweet as sugar.
i Additive Details
| Is E965 Maltitol safe?
Foods containing more than 10 per cent added polyols must carry the EU warning that 'excessive consumption may produce laxative effects'. Maltitol is one of the more laxative polyols: a single bar of sugar-free chocolate is enough to cause bloating, wind and diarrhoea in a sensitive person. It is a FODMAP and is poorly tolerated in irritable bowel syndrome. Although it is often marketed as suitable for people with diabetes, maltitol does raise blood glucose — less than sugar, but appreciably more than erythritol or xylitol.
| Uses
The standard sugar replacement in sugar-free chocolate, hard candy, chewing gum, biscuits and ice cream, because it has around 90 per cent of the sweetness of sucrose and behaves like sugar in bulk, texture and mouthfeel. Maltitol syrup is also used to keep baked goods soft. It supplies about 2.4 kcal per gram, a little over half the energy of sugar.
| Interactions
Often combined with intense sweeteners such as sucralose or steviol glycosides, which supply the sweetness while maltitol supplies the bulk. Polyol effects add up across a product, so a food combining maltitol with sorbitol or isomalt is harder on the gut than the amount of any single polyol suggests. Maltitol is not fermented by the bacteria that cause tooth decay.
| Origin
Made by hydrogenating maltose obtained from hydrolysed starch, usually corn or wheat starch. It also occurs in trace amounts in roasted malt and chicory.
| Daily Intake
No numerical ADI has been established; maltitol is classified with the polyols as 'ADI not specified', meaning intake is limited in practice by the laxative effect rather than by toxicity. Individual tolerance varies a great deal, and some people react to the amount contained in a single portion of sugar-free confectionery.
Information is sourced from public regulatory bodies (EFSA, FDA, WHO) and is for reference only. Always read the package and consult a healthcare professional for medical advice.
Related additives
- E952 Cyclamates A synthetic sweetener 30 to 50 times sweeter than sugar, authorised in the EU but not in the United States.
- E954 Saccharin The oldest artificial sweetener, roughly 300 to 500 times sweeter than sugar.
- E960 Steviol glycosides Plant-derived sweeteners extracted from stevia leaves, about 200 to 350 times sweeter than sugar.
- E967 Xylitol A sugar alcohol as sweet as sugar, best known from dental chewing gum and mints.
- E968 Erythritol A sugar alcohol with virtually no calories, about 60 to 70 per cent as sweet as sugar.
- E420 Sorbitol A sugar alcohol about 60 per cent as sweet as sugar, used both as a sweetener and as a humectant.
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