Erythritol
The short version
A naturally occurring sugar alcohol — calorie-free, kind on blood sugar, but recently linked to cardiovascular event signals.
It's permitted and generally considered safe, but there are a few reasons to be mindful — like sensitivities in some people, debated studies, or intake limits. The Safety section below explains the specifics.
Safety profile
In 1999 JECFA allocated an ADI 'not specified'. In its 2023 re-evaluation, EFSA set a numerical ADI of 0.5 g/kg body weight per day, based on erythritol's laxative effect. It found that estimated acute and chronic intakes were above this ADI, so people with high intake may be at risk of adverse effects, although it considered these estimates to be overestimates. Historically considered the safest sugar alcohol. A 2023 Nature Medicine study (Witkowski et al.) linked elevated blood erythritol with increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events and in-vitro thrombosis. The relationship between dietary intake and blood levels in humans is debated and under further investigation.
Sources
- EFSA — Re-evaluation of erythritol (E 968) as a food additive (EFSA Journal 2023;21(12):8430, doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8430) — European Food Safety Authority (EFSA FAF Panel), 2023. ADI 0.5 g/kg bw/day; no exemption from laxative warning
- WHO JECFA database — Erythritol (evaluation 1999, TRS 896) — Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), 1999. JECFA ADI 'not specified'
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on food information to consumers, Annex III point 2.4 (consolidated version of 1 January 2018) — European Union (EUR-Lex), 2011. EU laxative warning for foods with >10% added polyols
Checked against these sources on .
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