Back to catalogSafety
E966SweetenerLow concern
Lactitol
In plain words
The short version
A disaccharide sugar alcohol made from lactose — bulk sweetener with a clean sucrose-like sweetness.
Why it's green
It's widely considered safe at the amounts used in food, so we mark it green. The Safety section below has the details.
Safety profile
ADI not specified — considered safe at typical use levels. Like other polyols, large single doses (typically >40 g) produce a laxative effect. The slow-fermentation profile makes hepatic-encephalopathy laxative use possible (parallel to lactulose).
The detail
Manufactured by catalytic hydrogenation of lactose (the milk sugar isolated as a whey-processing byproduct). Industrially commercialized in the 1980s as a bulk sweetener.
About 40% as sweet as sucrose with a clean sugar-like profile — used in sugar-free chocolates, low-calorie baked goods, and ice cream where bulk and mouthfeel matter. Also a prescription osmotic laxative for chronic constipation, exploiting the same slow-fermentation behavior that limits its dietary tolerance.
White crystalline powder. Highly soluble in water. Heat-stable; non-cariogenic.
Permitted in the EU and most jurisdictions. In the EU, foods containing more than 10% added polyols must carry the statement 'excessive consumption may produce laxative effects'.
Sources
- JECFA database: Lactitol (INS 966), evaluation 1983, ADI not specified — WHO / Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), 1983. ADI not specified
- Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives, consolidated text of 18.08.2026 (Annex II, Group IV polyols) — Publications Office of the European Union, 2026. Permitted in the EU (Group IV polyols)
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on food information to consumers, Annex III point 2.4 (polyol laxative warning) — Publications Office of the European Union (Official Journal L 304), 2011. Mandatory laxative-effect labelling (EU rule)
Checked against these sources on .
Educational information only. Not medical, dietary or veterinary advice. Spotted an error? Tell us.