Sugar Alcohols

Sugar alcohols are a class of sweeteners that occur naturally in small amounts in certain fruits and vegetables but are commercially produced through the hydrogenation of sugars. Common sugar alcohols include erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, and isomalt. They provide fewer calories than sugar while offering similar bulk and sweetness, making them widely used in sugar-free and reduced-calorie processed foods. Their presence on ingredient labels indicates product reformulation, a practice characteristic of processed and ultra-processed food manufacturing where these food additives replace sugar to achieve specific nutritional label claims.

Sugar alcohols are found in sugar-free candies, chewing gum, mints, diabetic chocolates, protein bars, sugar-free ice cream, cough drops, toothpaste, mouthwash, pharmaceutical preparations, low-carb products, and many foods marketed as sugar-free or reduced-calorie.

Level (high → low)Level (low → high)Name (A–Z)Name (Z–A)

AllL1L2L3L4

Mint Chip Swirl Low Fat Ice Cream Bars, Mint Chip Swirl

8.18.0/10

Cookies and Creme

8.10.0/10

Chocolate Organic Plant-Based Delicious Protein Shake

8.18.0/10

Berries 'N Cherries Fruit Snacks, Berries 'N Cherries

8.15.5/10

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Chewy Snack Bars, Red Berries

8.13.0/10

Kellogg's Special K Cereal Bars Red Berries .88oz

8.13.5/10

Chocolate Raw Organic Protein Plant Formula, Chocolate

8.18.0/10

Milk Chocolate Assortment G Cubes, Milk Chocolate

8.12.0/10

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches, Salted Caramel+ Chocolate Cookie

Killer Creamery

8.15.5/10

Triple Berry Frobert Frozen Dairy Dessert, Triple Berry

The Frozen Farmer

8.12.0/10

Crab-Flavored Seafood

Alaskan Snow Legs

8.10.0/10

Red Berries Chewy Snack Bars, Red Berries

Special K

8.13.0/10

Organic Protein 21g Powder, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Chocolate Peanut Butter

Orgain

8.16.5/10

Organic Protein 21g Powder, Peanut Butter Cup, Peanut Butter Cup

Orgain

8.17.0/10

Twisted Rainbow Punch Ropes Candy, Twisted Rainbow Punch

Sweetarts

8.13.0/10

New York Cheesecake

5.54.0/10

Dark Chocolate Crispy Rice

5.56.0/10

Sugar-Free Lemon-Lime Natural Chewing Gum

5.50.0/10

Via Instant Refreshers

5.52.5/10

Bite Fuel, Power Bites Protein Cookies, Chocolate Chips

5.53.5/10

Instant Beverage with Green Coffee Extract

5.52.5/10

Sparkling Antioxidant Infusion Antioxidant Beverage

5.50.0/10

Supertea

5.50.0/10

Vitaminwater, Vitaminwater Zero Squeezed, Lemonade

5.50.0/10

Bonbons

5.50.0/10

Glaceau, Vitaminwater Zero, Water Beverage, Fruit Punch

5.50.0/10

Sparkling Green Coffee Energy Beverage

5.55.0/10

Creamy Chocolate Nutritional Protein Shake

5.57.0/10

Vanilla Bean Nutritional Protein Shake

5.57.0/10

Salted Caramel Flavored Glazed Fancy Pecans, Salted Caramel

Schnucks

5.30.0/10

Zellie's, Naturally Sugar Free Mints, Spearmint

3.00.0/10

Mojito Mint

3.05.0/10

Nature Sweet with a Blend of Stevia & Monk Fruit

3.00.0/10

Eucalyptus-Menthol Drops with Sweeteners

3.00.0/10

Organic Dark Chocolate Chips

3.07.0/10

Brown Sugar Blend Stevia Sweetener

3.02.0/10

Stevia & Monk Fruit Plant-Based Sweetener, Stevia & Monk Fruit

3.00.0/10

Stevia & Monk Fruit Sweetener with Golden Turmeric Packets, Golden Turmeric

3.00.0/10

Stevia & Monk Fruit Sweetener with Glow Collagen Peptides Sticks, Stevia & Monk Fruit

3.00.0/10

No Sugar Added Lemonade

3.05.0/10

Strawberry No Sugar Added Lemonade, Strawberry

3.05.0/10

Brown Allulose Baking Blend, Brown

3.00.0/10

Monk Fruit Baking Sweetener with Erythritol, Monk Fruit

3.00.0/10

Intensely 92% Cocoa Dark Chocolate, Intensely

3.08.0/10

Sugar Free Roasted Pecan Flavored Syrup, Roasted Pecan

3.00.0/10

Lakanto, Golden Monkfruit Sweetener with Erythritol

2.00.0/10

Lakanto, Monkfruit Sweetener with Erythritol

2.00.0/10

Lakanto, Classic Monkfruit Sweetener with Erythritol

2.00.0/10

Sugar Twin, Calorie-Free Stevia Sweetener

2.00.0/10

Polar Mint

2.05.0/10

Fluffy Marsh Mallow Chocolate Powder

2.07.0/10

A Blend of Stevia & Monk Fruit

2.00.0/10

Pure Organic Erythritol Zero Sugar

1.00.0/10

Erythritol Natural Sugar Alternative

1.00.0/10

Organic Erythritol Natural Sugar Alternative

1.00.0/10

Erythritol

1.00.0/10

Granulated No Calorie Sweetener Erythritol

1.00.0/10

Xylitol Sweetener

Epic

1.00.0/10

Original Sugar Replacement, Original

Miss Jones Baking Co.

1.00.0/10

Erythritol Organic Sugar Substitute, Erythritol

365 Whole Foods Market

1.00.0/10

Browse all 8,932 products →

Sugar Alcohols can appear in ingredient lists under several names. If you see any of the following, this is the ingredient family you are looking at:

Sugar alcohols function as bulk sweeteners that provide sweetness ranging from 25% to 100% of sucrose while contributing fewer calories per gram. Unlike intense artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols add volume and texture similar to sugar, making them useful in products like sugar-free chocolates, candies, and baked goods where bulk is needed. The FDA authorizes a dental caries health claim for foods sweetened with sugar alcohols in place of sugars, which is one reason xylitol is widely used in sugar-free chewing gum. Erythritol and xylitol also produce a cooling sensation on the tongue that manufacturers use in mints and gum.

Sugar alcohols are produced industrially through the catalytic hydrogenation of their corresponding sugars. Sorbitol is made from glucose, xylitol from xylose (often sourced from birch wood or corn cobs), and erythritol through fermentation of glucose by yeast. Maltitol is produced by hydrogenating maltose derived from starch. While they occur naturally in small quantities in berries, mushrooms, and other plant foods, commercial quantities require industrial production. The hydrogenation process adds hydrogen atoms to the sugar molecule, converting it to the corresponding sugar alcohol.

Sugar alcohols are incompletely absorbed in the small intestine, which accounts for their reduced caloric value (typically 1.5-3 calories per gram versus 4 for sugar). Products containing sorbitol or mannitol must carry a laxation warning statement if consumption could exceed specified daily amounts (50g for sorbitol, 20g for mannitol). Individual tolerance varies, with erythritol generally being better tolerated than other sugar alcohols. Sugar alcohols can be listed separately from total sugars on the Nutrition Facts label.

This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.

Sugar alcohols are approved by the FDA for use in foods and may carry reduced calorie claims. Products containing sorbitol or mannitol must carry a laxation warning if consumption could exceed threshold amounts. Sugar alcohols can be declared separately on the Nutrition Facts label under the "Sugar Alcohols" line. The FDA recognizes the lower caloric contribution of sugar alcohols compared to sugars. The EU assigns E-numbers to sugar alcohols and regulates their use in foods labeled as sugar-free.