| HS Code | |
| Product Name | Erythritol |
| Product Type | Sugar alcohol / polyol |
| Chemical Name | 1,2,3,4-Butanetetrol |
| Chemical Formula | C4H10O4 |
| Cas Number | 149-32-6 |
| Einecs Number | 205-737-3 |
| E Number | E968 |
| Appearance | White crystalline powder or granules |
| Color | White |
| Odor | Odorless |
| Taste | Sweet, clean, similar to sucrose |
| Sweetness | Approximately 60-70% of sucrose |
| Insulin Response | Minimal |
| Melting Point | 121-123 °C |
| Boiling Point | Decomposes before boiling at approximately 300 °C |
| Solubility In Water | Approximately 37 g/100 mL at 25 °C |
| Density | 1.45 g/cm³ |
| Ph | 5-7 in 5% solution |
| Production Method | Fermentation of glucose from corn or wheat starch |
| Uses | Sugar substitute, reduced-calorie sweetener, dental health products, pharmaceuticals |
| Digestive Effect | May cause bloating, gas, or laxative effects if consumed in excess |
| Regulatory Status | Approved as a food additive in the EU, US, and many other countries |
| Heat Stability | Stable under normal cooking and baking temperatures |
| Hygroscopicity | Non-hygroscopic |
| Cooling Effect | Strong cooling sensation due to negative heat of solution |
| Metabolism | Absorbed in the small intestine and largely excreted unchanged in urine |
| Allergen Info | Generally hypoallergenic; corn-derived products may be a concern for corn allergy |
| Storage | Cool, dry place in a sealed container |
| Shelf Life | Long shelf life when stored properly |
As an accredited Erythritol factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | Erythritol is packaged in 25 kg food-grade, moisture-resistant, polyethylene-lined paper bags with sealed inner liners for bulk shipping. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | Erythritol in 20′ FCL: palletized 25 kg PP/PE bags, shrink-wrapped, dry container, max 20–22 MT net weight; food-grade crystalline powder. |
| Shipping | Erythritol is a non-hazardous, food-grade polyol shipped as general cargo. It is not classified as dangerous goods for road, rail, sea, or air transport. Pack in sealed, moisture-resistant bags, drums, or supersacks. Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from strong oxidizers and moisture. |
| Storage | Store erythritol in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from heat, direct sunlight, moisture, and strong oxidizers. Keep containers tightly closed, clearly labeled, and protected from physical damage. Avoid dust generation and contamination. Maintain good housekeeping; use appropriate personal protective equipment if handling large quantities. Follow local regulations and manufacturer guidance. |
| Shelf Life | Erythritol has a long shelf life—typically 2–3 years or more if kept sealed, cool, dry, and away from moisture. |
In carbonated zero-sugar beverage manufacturing, erythritol is metered as a dry crystalline polyol into a pre-dissolution vessel with a scraped-surface agitator at 20–25 °C before the syrup passes through a plate heat exchanger for pasteurization at 85–95 °C for 15–30 s and subsequent carbonation at 2.5–4.0 vol CO₂. The formulation range in ready-to-drink beverages is typically 1.5–3.5 wt% erythritol; above 3.5 wt%, the negative heat of solution introduces a menthol-like cooling note detectable in sensory profiling under ISO 11136:2014 in neutral pH RTD tea and protein-based meal replacements. The solubility limit of 61.5 g/100 mL at 25 °C restricts high-Brix beverage concentrates: concentrates above 20 wt% erythritol may nucleate during 4 °C cold-chain storage unless total syrup solids are co-blended with 5–10 wt% polydextrose or soluble corn fiber to increase the critical nucleation barrier. In-line refractometric Brix must be corrected against HPLC-RI erythritol concentration because erythritol does not reproduce the refractive index response of sucrose. Regulatory status rests on Codex CXS 192-1995 INS 968, EU 1333/2008 Annex II E 968, and FDA GRAS notices for polyol use. Terminal product types include zero-sugar carbonated soft drinks, clear RTD teas, electrolyte sports drinks, and ready-to-drink protein shakes; the principal production bottleneck on high-speed filling lines is post-fill crystallization in the filler bowl at temperatures below 2 °C, controlled by maintaining syrup temperature above 4 °C before carbonation.
Sugar-free hard candy lines using erythritol as the primary crystalline polyol require a thermal profile fundamentally different from sucrose or isomalt lines. Erythritol exhibits a sharp differential scanning calorimetry endothermic peak at 121–122 °C and a stable melt plateau up to 160 °C under atmospheric conditions, but the same crystalline purity causes rapid re-solidification when the melt falls below 95 °C at ambient humidity. Hard candy batches are formulated with 70–90 wt% erythritol in the dry sweetener fraction, 10–30 wt% isomalt or polydextrose as a recrystallization inhibitor, 0.5–1.0 wt% citric acid, and 0.2–0.5 wt% flavor; the blend is cooked in a vacuum candy cooker at 155–165 °C under 0.1–0.3 bar absolute until moisture is below 3.0 wt%. The melt is deposited into polycarbonate molds at 135–140 °C, then passed through a three-zone cooling tunnel with setpoints of 20 °C, 12 °C, and 8 °C and a residence time of 12–20 min. Compressed mint lines operate at 93–97 wt% erythritol with 1–2 wt% magnesium stearate and are pressed on rotary tablet presses at 25–45 kN to target hardness of 100–180 N. Chewing gum coating syrups use 25–40 wt% erythritol in a high-solids aqueous syrup; the solubility limit requires co-dissolution with gum arabic at 45–50 °C before pan coating. Compliance anchors include EU 1333/2008 Annex II E 968, Codex CXS 192-1995, and ISO 22000 prerequisite programs. Packaging for hard candy must provide water vapour transmission below 0.1 g/m²/24 h at 38 °C/90% RH because erythritol recrystallization on package headspace moisture produces surface haze without adhesive tack. Terminal products are sugar-free hard candies, compressed mints, gum pellets, and throat lozenges.
In continuous ice cream freezers, the mass-based freezing point depression of erythritol is determined by its molecular mass of 122.12 g/mol, which is 2.80 times the depression of sucrose 342.30 g/mol at equal mass concentration in ideal dilute solution. Formulated at 4–8 wt% of the total dessert mix, erythritol lowers draw temperature by 1.5–2.0 °C relative to sucrose-sweetened control batches; above 10 wt%, the frozen matrix remains too soft at conventional draw temperatures and can release unfrozen water during hardening at −25 °C. Mix processing uses two-stage homogenization at 150–200 bar first stage and 30–40 bar second stage, pasteurization at 82 °C for 25 s or batch pasteurization at 69 °C for 30 min, aging at 4 °C for 4–12 h, and continuous freezing with dasher speed 150–300 rpm and overrun 30–60%. The low solubility of erythritol at aged-mix temperature can create sandiness; pilot batches should include 2–5 wt% polydextrose or inulin and use erythritol with particle size D50 < 30 µm or pre-dissolve it in the aqueous phase at 50 °C before homogenization. Published data for the ternary erythritol–polydextrose–milk protein matrix at 4 °C is limited; process validation therefore requires crystal growth inspection after 48 h aging. Regulatory coverage includes Codex CXS 192-1995, EU 1333/2008 Annex II E 968, and, for United States labelling, FDA 21 CFR 101.60(c) no-sugar-added criteria. Terminal product types are no-sugar-added ice cream, frozen yogurt, water ices, and dairy dessert cups.
| Application segment | Mandatory or reference standard | Analytical control | Typical target or limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zero-sugar beverages | Codex CXS 192-1995; EU 1333/2008 Annex II E 968 | HPLC-RI purity | ≥99.5%; use level 1.5–3.5 wt% |
| Sugar-free confectionery | EU 1333/2008 Annex II E 968; ISO 22000 | DSC melt endotherm | 121–122 °C; moisture <3.0 wt% |
| Frozen desserts | Codex CXS 192-1995; FDA 21 CFR 101.60(c) | Crystal growth inspection | Erythritol 4–8 wt%; aging 4 °C |
| Oral care | ISO 11609:2017; EC 1223/2009 | pH, Karl Fischer moisture | pH 5.8–6.5; use level 1.0–5.0 wt% |
| Pharmaceutical ODTs | USP-NF; Ph. Eur.; ICH Q3D | Loss on drying; friability | Moisture <0.5 wt%; friability <1.0% |
| Cosmetic leave-on | EC 1223/2009; ISO 22716:2007 | Preservation challenge test | Use level 0.5–3.0 wt%; ethanol <30 vol% |
Where non-cariogenic bulk sweetening is required in toothpaste and alcohol-free mouthrinse, the abrasive silica dispersion stage determines erythritol distribution more than aqueous solubility because toothpaste is a structured paste with yield stress. Toothpaste batches use 1.0–5.0 wt% erythritol, dry-blended with silica abrasive and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose before the humectant phase of sorbitol and glycerol is added under vacuum at −0.085 to −0.090 MPa; the vacuum prevents air entrapment that would reduce specific gravity below 1.25–1.35 g/mL and create cap-locking at the tube nozzle. Mouthrinse formulas use 0.5–2.0 wt% erythritol dissolved at 25 °C and buffered to pH 5.8–6.5 with sodium citrate/citric acid before 0.45 µm filtration and filling. Dissolvable oral film casting requires 10–30 wt% erythritol in a hydroxypropyl methylcellulose aqueous solution, cast onto polyethylene terephthalate at 40–60 °C and dried to residual moisture below 5.0 wt%. Compliance is anchored to ISO 11609:2017 for dentifrice pH, heavy metals, and fluoride availability; mouthrinse and film products in the EU fall under EC 1223/2009 when positioned as cosmetic breath fresheners. Terminal products include fluoride toothpaste, alcohol-free mouthrinse, and breath freshening films. The principal operational boundary is anhydrous toothpaste: erythritol does not function as a humectant, and its residual moisture must be below 0.5 wt% before addition to anhydrous systems to avoid localized paste thinning.
Direct compression orally disintegrating tablet formulations containing erythritol shift from plastic deformation to brittle fracture as moisture falls below 0.5 wt%, which improves disintegration time but increases friability if filler particle size is too coarse. Common direct compression grades of erythritol are specified with D50 40–70 µm and loss on drying below 0.5 wt%; the filler is used at 20–40 wt% of the tablet mass, combined with 5–10 wt% crospovidone as superdisintegrant and 0.5–1.0 wt% sodium stearyl fumarate as lubricant. Rotary tablet presses operate at 8–18 kN compression force, targeting hardness 30–70 N, friability below 1.0% per USP <1216>, and disintegration below 30 s per USP <701>. For wet granulation, erythritol is included at 10–25 wt% with 2–5 wt% povidone K30 as binder; granulation water must be removed to below 0.5 wt% before tableting. Lyophilized oral wafers use 5–15 wt% erythritol in the pre-freeze solution to provide bulk and sweetness without delaying collapse temperature. Pharmaceutical compliance is anchored to the USP-NF erythritol monograph, the Ph. Eur. erythritol monograph, ICH Q3D elemental impurity limits, and residual solvent testing per USP <467>. Pre-drying at 40–50 °C is required when ambient relative humidity exceeds 60%; formulations containing moisture-sensitive active pharmaceutical ingredients should not be compressed with erythritol equilibrated above 0.8 wt% moisture. Terminal product types include orally disintegrating tablets, chewable antacid tablets, pediatric sachets, and granulated oral powders.
In cold-process leave-on emulsions, erythritol is dissolved in the aqueous phase at 35–45 °C before carbomer neutralization, because dry erythritol added after gel formation creates local viscosity collapse and crystal seeding. Leave-on moisturizers and serums use 0.5–3.0 wt% erythritol; toners and mists operate at 0.3–2.0 wt%; above 5.0 wt%, low-humidity storage can produce visible crystal deposition on the stratum corneum surface. The aqueous phase is cooled to 25 °C, combined with a pre-hydrated carbomer phase, and adjusted to pH 5.5–6.0 with sodium hydroxide or triethanolamine before homogenization at 3,000–5,000 rpm for 3–5 min. Ethanol-containing systems must keep ethanol below 30 vol%; above this concentration erythritol solubility decreases and crystalline precipitation is observed at 25 °C. Compliance is carried under EC 1223/2009, good manufacturing practice under ISO 22716:2007, and microbial preservation under ISO 11930:2019 challenge testing. Terminal product types include oil-free moisturizers, hydrating essences, lip serums, after-sun cooling gels, and facial mists. The principal limitation is the osmotic effect on carbomer rheology: erythritol above 3.0 wt% can reduce yield stress depending on polymer grade and must be quantified with a Brookfield viscometer at 20 °C and 20 rpm rather than inferred from glycerol-based reference curves.
Competitive Erythritol prices that fit your budget—flexible terms and customized quotes for every order.
For samples, pricing, or more information, please contact us at +8618136850665 or mail to admin@ascent-chem.com.
We will respond to you as soon as possible.
Tel: +8618136850665
Email: admin@ascent-chem.com
Flexible payment, competitive price, premium service - Inquire now!
Erythritol is a four-carbon straight-chain polyol, C4H10O4, CAS 149-32-6, used as a crystalline bulk sweetener in food, beverage, oral-care, and pharmaceutical formulations. The product is supplied as a white, free-flowing crystalline powder or granular solid with a molecular weight of 122.12 g/mol and a purity criterion of ≥ 99.5% on the dried basis under the JECFA and FCC monographs. The molecule is the meso isomer and is optically inactive, which distinguishes it from fermentable monosaccharides that rotate plane-polarized light. Industrial production is by aerobic fermentation of glucose-rich substrates using osmophilic yeasts such as Moniliella pollinis; the resulting broth is clarified by ion-exchange and activated-carbon treatment, concentrated, crystallized, and dried. Commercial grade designations are not harmonized globally, but common forms include granular crystalline material at 16–60 mesh, fine powder at 100–200 mesh, and micronized material with D90 ≤ 45 µm. Particle-size distribution is verified by laser diffraction under ISO 13320:2020. The European additive designation is E 968, and the product is covered in the EU by Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 and the specification in Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012.
Dry crystalline erythritol melts over 119–123 °C; the narrow melting range makes melt-processed confectionery sensitive to hot-spot control. The negative heat of solution is −42.9 cal/g, which is higher in magnitude than xylitol at −36.6 cal/g and sorbitol at −26.5 cal/g. In aqueous systems the equilibrium solubility is approximately 37 g/100 g water at 25 °C, increasing with temperature; this limits high-solids syrups to ≤ 37% w/w at ambient hold. High-solids aqueous streams above this concentration require heated hold temperatures above 60 °C to prevent line blockage. Crystalline erythritol is non-hygroscopic under normal storage, but fine grades with high surface area can agglomerate if exposed to condensation. On continuous hard-candy lines, erythritol is melted in jacketed scraped-surface cookers maintained above 123 °C; premature cooling below the melting range initiates rapid recrystallization and can seize the mixing head. Differential scanning calorimetry per ASTM E794 is the accepted method for confirming the melting transition and for detecting adulteration with other polyols.
In reduced-sugar and zero-sugar beverage lines, erythritol is metered as a crystalline premix at 0.5–3.5% w/v and blended with high-intensity sweeteners to achieve a target sweetness equivalent of 10–12 °Brix. The cooling effect develops only after dissolution; carbonated soft-drink processors therefore inject pre-dissolved erythritol syrup through an in-line high-shear mixer into the beverage stream to avoid undissolved crystals in the filler. Pre-dissolved syrup at 30–50% w/w is held in jacketed vessels at 45–60 °C; transfer lines are flushed with warm water to prevent crystallization during stoppages. Sensory difference testing against sucrose-sweetened controls is performed under ISO 4120:2021 triangle protocols; formulations above 3.5% w/v are generally avoided because astringency reduction of steviol glycosides reaches a plateau and cooling can be perceived as an off-note. pH adjustment to 3.0–4.0 after erythritol addition does not hydrolyze the polyol under normal cold-fill or tunnel-pasteurization conditions. Because erythritol does not participate in Maillard reactions and contributes no fermentable substrate in still drinks, preservative demand should still be validated by challenge testing under ISO 20976-1:2019 in products with pH above 4.2.
Comparative selection among sugar alcohols is driven by three independently measurable criteria: relative sweetness, energy value, and gastrointestinal handling. Additive use levels in chewing gum and compressed mints are established by shearing molten or powdered polyol into the gum base; erythritol requires lower torque than xylitol at equivalent particle size because it has a lower solubility and does not form a sticky plastic mass at 40–50 °C. The following matrix summarizes published comparative data.
| Substance | Relative sweetness (sucrose = 1.0) | US energy value (kcal/g) | EU energy value (kJ/g) | Heat of solution (cal/g) | Absorption and tolerance behaviour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erythritol | 0.60–0.70 | 0.2 | 0 | −42.9 | Small-intestinal absorption, renal excretion, minimal colonic load |
| Xylitol | 1.0 | 2.4 | 10 | −36.6 | Partial absorption, dose-dependent colonic fermentation |
| Sorbitol | 0.50–0.70 | 2.6 | 10 | −26.5 | Slow absorption, dose-dependent laxation |
| Mannitol | 0.50–0.70 | 1.6 | 10 | −28.9 | Slow absorption, dose-dependent laxation |
The heat-of-solution difference has direct processing consequences. In sugar-free chewing gum, micronized erythritol at D90 ≤ 45 µm produces a sharper initial cooling than xylitol or sorbitol because the magnitude of the heat of solution is −42.9 cal/g versus −36.6 cal/g and −26.5 cal/g, respectively. Gastrointestinal tolerance is differentiated by absorption route: erythritol is absorbed in the small intestine and excreted unchanged in urine, with only a minor fraction reaching the colon, whereas xylitol and sorbitol are fermented more extensively, which explains their dose-dependent laxation. Because erythritol has a molecular weight of 122.12 g/mol, its osmotic effect per gram is higher than xylitol at 152.15 g/mol and sorbitol or mannitol at 182.17 g/mol; this increases freezing-point depression and water activity reduction in aqueous products at equivalent mass. This does not imply universal superiority; in applications requiring syrup viscosity or humectancy, sorbitol remains the more appropriate polyol.
In sugar-free chewing gum and oral-care products, erythritol is incorporated at 20–60% of the bulk sweetener phase in Z-blade or sigma-blade mixers at 45–55 °C. The crystalline material does not absorb moisture during gum storage, so stickiness in wrapped product is lower than sorbitol-based gum under accelerated storage at 40 °C and 75% RH for 4 weeks per ICH Q1A. Non-cariogenic evaluation uses plaque pH telemetry or mixed oral flora fermentation assays; erythritol does not produce the organic-acid pH fall associated with fermentable carbohydrates. Toothpaste grades are used at 5–20% to provide bulk without competing for humectant water.
When erythritol replaces sucrose in short-dough biscuits at mass replacement ratios above 50%, dough rheology and bake-out differ in measurable ways. Spread ratio determined by AACC 10-53.01 is a critical in-process control; the ratio often falls below the sucrose control because erythritol does not form a viscous sucrose syrup during baking. Texture analyzers operating under ISO 11036:2020 or universal testing machine protocols record higher peak hardness at equivalent moisture content. Crust color remains pale unless a reducing sugar or browning agent is added, as erythritol does not enter Maillard browning. In layer cakes, replacement above 30% may reduce volume and increase staling rate; bakers using Brabender Farinograph methods observe lower dough stability if the erythritol is not pre-dissolved. In chocolate and compound coatings, micronized erythritol with D90 ≤ 45 µm is dispersed into the fat phase during conching at 45–55 °C; its non-hygroscopic behaviour reduces moisture uptake, but its cooling effect can produce a sandiness defect if the particle size exceeds 45 µm. In sorbet and ice cream, erythritol is used at 5–15% of mix solids; freezing-point depression is greater than sucrose per unit mass because of the lower molecular weight, so draw temperatures are adjusted 1–2 °C lower than sucrose-sweetened controls.
Pharmaceutical-grade erythritol is controlled under a USP-NF monograph and is used in orally disintegrating tablets and powder blends for its crystalline compressibility and cooling sensation. Direct-compression trials with D90 ≤ 45 µm material are designed to meet USP <701> disintegration times below 30 s and USP <1216> friability below 1.0%. Tablet presses with compaction forces in the 5–15 kN range are typical for 200 mg placebo cores; the brittle fragmentation of erythritol crystals produces good compactability without the need for wet granulation. Lubrication with magnesium stearate at 0.5–1.0% w/w and blending times below 5 min prevent overlubrication. However, wet granulation with water above 10% w/w can dissolve the material and generate agglomerates; alcohol-based granulation is used when particle-size retention is critical. Excipient compatibility screening follows ICH Q1A(R2) when erythritol is combined with moisture-sensitive active pharmaceutical ingredients. The cooling effect is used deliberately in oral disintegrating tablets to mask bitter APIs; formulation pH is maintained below 6.0 to avoid alkaline degradation of susceptible actives.
Erythritol is approved as food additive E 968 in the EU; its identity and purity are specified in Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012. The U.S. applies the FCC monograph and has accepted erythritol through GRAS notices; for nutrition labeling, the U.S. energy value is 0.2 kcal/g, while the EU labelling energy value is 0 kJ/g under Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011. This discrepancy arises from different regulatory rounding assumptions, not from a change in physiological energy. Codex Alimentarius provisions are published in the GSFA online database, and use levels vary by food category. The specification matrix below is applied to food-grade material at release.
| Parameter | Criterion | Reference method |
|---|---|---|
| Assay (dried basis) | ≥ 99.5% | JECFA (2018); FCC 11 |
| Loss on drying | ≤ 0.2% | JECFA (2018); FCC 11 |
| Reducing sugars | ≤ 0.3% | JECFA (2018); FCC 11 |
| Sulfated ash | ≤ 0.1% | JECFA (2018) |
| Lead | ≤ 1 mg/kg | JECFA (2018); FCC 11 |
| Melting range | 119–123 °C | USP-NF <741> |
For pharmaceutical applications, the USP-NF monograph includes additional controls on melting range and related substances, and the material must be handled under GMP with excipient packaging that avoids cross-contact with reducing sugars. International shipments are accepted against JECFA (2018) monographs and may additionally require REACH registration for industrial use.
Powder handling of erythritol requires attention to dust formation because the fine grade can generate a combustible dust cloud. A site-specific dust hazard analysis under NFPA 652 is used before pneumatic conveying. Conveying air velocity is maintained at 18–25 m/s in dilute-phase systems, and flexible screw conveyors are preferred for micronized material to avoid particle attrition.
Storage at 25 °C and 60% RH in sealed polypropylene-lined paper bags is adequate for most crystalline grades; fine and micronized grades should not be stored in silos with intermittent condensation. Erythritol is incompatible with strong oxidizing agents under confined high-temperature conditions and should not be dry-blended with highly alkaline effervescent systems unless stability data support the specific formulation. Published data for extended thermal-alkaline degradation of erythritol in finished food matrices is limited. Because the material is non-reducing, it does not contribute to browning; however, this also means that baked-goods developers must add a separate browning substrate when a toasted surface is required.
