Maltitol

What is it?

Maltitol and Maltitol Syrup are plant-based ingredients/additives used in food, obtained from cereals (maize and wheat) in the EU.

As all polyols, maltitol and maltitol syrup are sugar alcohols or hydrogenated carbohydrates. They are also known as sugar replacers, bulk sweeteners or sugar-free sweeteners. Maltitol is a white, crystalline powder very similar to sucrose. Its clean sweet taste and physico-chemical properties similar to that of sucrose make it a high quality sugar alternative. Maltitol is less caloric than sugar (2.4kcal/g instead of 4 kcal/g), can help control blood glucose response and is tooth-friendly (non-cariogenic).

It’s an approved food additive in the EU, carrying the identifying E-number E965.

Where and Why is it used?

Maltitol is a useful replacement for table sugar (sucrose) because it’s almost as sweet, but lower in calories and non-cariogenic. It exhibits a negligible cooling effect in comparison with other polyols and is very similar to the subtle cooling effect of sucrose.

Maltitol is used in a wide range of food applications, primarily in chewing gum coating or chewing gum mass. It is also used as a texturiser in chocolate, cakes and biscuits, but also in crunchy compressed tablets, jams, ice-creams etc. Besides providing sweetness, maltitol and other polyols help keep food moist, and help prevent browning.

Its similarity to sucrose allows it to be used in syrups with the advantage that crystallization is less likely. Maltitol may also be used as a plasticizer in gelatine capsules, as an emollient, and as a humectant.

For more information, please visit the website of the European Association of Polyol Producers (EPA).