Zerose™ Erythritol

1 of 9 products in this brand
Zerose™ Erythritol is a non-nutritive sweetener, sugar substitute, and sweetening agent. It provides the same sweet taste and mouthfeel as sucrose (table sugar), but with zero calories. This makes it an excellent choice for achieving reduced-calorie claims that traditional sugar alternatives cannot match. Notably, Zerose™ Erythritol is not only calorie-free but also highly digestive-tolerant, does not lead to increases in blood glucose or insulin levels, and is non-cariogenic.

INCI Name: Erythritol

Ingredient Name: Erythritol

Chemical Name: Erythritol

Functions: Non Nutritive Sweetener, Sugar Substitute, Sweetener

Dosage Form: Capsules, Lozenges, Ointments, Tablets

Synonyms: (2R,3S)-Butane-1,2,3,4-tetrol, 1,2,3,4-Butanetetrol, Butanetetrol, C*Eridex, E968, Erythro-Tetritol, Lichen Sugar, Meso-Erythritol, Mesoerythritol, Tetrahydroxybutane

Knowde Enhanced TDS

Identification & Functionality

Chemical Family
Chemical Name
INCI Name
Ingredient Name
Ingredient Origin
Cosmetic Ingredients Functions
Pharma & Nutraceuticals Functions
Ingredients
Erythritol
Food Additive Number
E 968, INS 968

Features & Benefits

Product Highlights

Sugar Reduction

Zerose® has the sweet taste and mouthfeel of sucrose…but with zero calories, enabling reduced-calorie claims that are impossible to achieve with traditional sucrose alternatives.

Non-cariogenic

Erythritol does not contribute to caries or tooth decay and is proven* to significantly reduce caries and dental plaque versus other polyols.

*Clinical Study: The Caries Preventative Effect of Erythritol, Xylitol and Sorbitol

Cooling Sensation

In crystalline form, Zerose® erythritol has a clean, cool taste, and is often used in dental care and gums. As the clean, cool taste helps to mask off-flavors it is also commonly used in combination with high-intensity sweeteners.

Nutritional Benefits
  • Zero calorie
  • High digestive tolerance
    • Clinical studies show that erythritol has better digestive tolerance when compared to other polyols
  • Suitable for people with diabetes
    • Does not raise blood glucose or insulin levels
  • Non-cariogenic

With the growing demands to reduce overall sugar consumption, the food industry is seeking ways to respond to consumer demand for foods that help meet their dietary and weight loss goals. This means developing foods that are sugar-free, lower calorie and low in glycemic carbohydrates while also trying to achieve the desired texture, flavor and stability of traditional products.


Digestive Tolerance
Zerose™ Erythritol - Nutritional Benefits

Characteristics
  • High relative sweetness
  • Cool mouthfeel (high negative heat of solution)*
  • Low hygroscopicity, stabilizing end products
  • Low solubility
  • High speed of crystallization
  • High freezing point depression
Zero Calories
  • Zerose® contributes no calories because it passes through the human body almost unchanged. Unlike other polyols it is absorbed quickly and easily in the small intestine, and not fermented in the large intestine. In the EU, European Directive 2008/100/EC formally recognizes the unique zero-calorie status of Zerose®.
  • Zerose® does not raise blood glucose or insulin levels. It serves as a useful sugar alternative for the growing number of people with diabetic and pre-diabetic conditions.
Reliable Product Quality and Supply

Zerose® erythritol is produced domestically through fermentation. In order to enable Non-GMO Project Verification, Cargill selects carbohydrate feedstocks from conventionally bred, non-GMO crops. Both non-GMO and standard erythritol options are available to customers. As with all Cargill ingredients, the reliable quality and supply of Zerose® erythritol is assured by Cargill’s extensive supply chain.

Functional Benefits
  • Clean, sweet taste similar to sucrose
  • Natural
  • Adds smoothness and body
  • Masks off-flavors
  • Cool mouthfeel (high negative heat of solution)
  • Synergy with intense sweeteners
  • Extends storage stability
  • High processing (acid and heat) stability
  • Low hygroscopicity
  • High speed of crystallization


Relative Sweetness
 Zerose™ Erythritol - Functional Benefits


Taste Comparison of Erythritol to Sugar
Zerose™ Erythritol - Functional Benefits - 1

Product Background

As reducing sugar consumption has become a global concern, consumers are actively seeking out foods and beverages with less
sugar – but few are willing to give up the satisfaction of sweetness.
Polyols (or sugar alcohols) can be an excellent solution. These versatile sweeteners offer the potential for great-tasting reduced-sugar and sugar-free products, while contributing important sensory and functional benefits. Polyols can be used alone or paired with high-intensity sweeteners like stevia.

Guilt-free indulgence

  • Ideal for reducing sugar and calories, with zero to 3 kCal/g
  • Support oral health; do not contribute to tooth decay
  • Reduced glycemic index: do not raise blood glucose or insulin levels
Oral Health

A zero-calorie bulk sweetener that looks and tastes like sugar; clinically shown to reduce plaque and risk of cavities

Key Properties
  • Cool mouthfeel (high negative heat of solution)
  • Zero-calorie natural* sweetener
  • High processing stability (acid & heat)
  • Low hygroscopicity
  • High speed of crystallization

Applications & Uses

Application Format
Manufacturing Technology
Oral Care Applications
Confectionery Applications
  • Clean sweet taste
  • Fine crystal structure
  • Non-hygroscopic
  • Attractive cooling effect


In gum: Zerose® erythritol can improve the flavor profile, and its cooling effect gives a unique and enjoyable chewing experience.

In sugar-free chocolate: Sweetener blends with Zerose® erythritol, as a bulk sweetener, yield calorie reduction with excellent gloss, texture, snap and melting characteristics. It masks aftertastes of intense sweeteners and is useful in a sugar-restricted diet.

Applications
  • Bakery
  • Bars
  • Beverages
  • Confectionery
  • Dairy
  • Frozen Desserts
  • Jams/Jellies
  • Oral Care
  • Pharmaceutical
Food Applications
  • Great sugar-like taste in combination with intense sweeteners
  • Excellent heat and acid stability
  • Improved shelf life
  • Excellent water activity management
  • Enhanced bulk and body
  • Optimal freezing point depression


When compared to sucrose in baking, Zerose® erythritol exhibits different melting behavior, a more compact dough, less color formations, better moisture control and softer baked products.
The use of Zerose® erythritol as a bulking agent can support sugar replacement strategies and allow for lower calorie profiles in many dairy products and frozen desserts such as pudding, yogurt, smoothies, ice cream or sorbet. 

Beverage Appliations
  • Sugar-like taste
  • Works well with high-intensity sweeteners
  • Enhanced body and mouthfeel
  • Optimal freezing point depression
  • Excellent heat and acidity characteristics


Zerose® erythritol is ideal for diet soft drinks, flavored waters and milk, sports drinks, smoothies, iced teas, frozen beverages, and soy-based beverages.

Tabletop Sweeteners
  • Sugar-like taste when used in combination with intense sweeteners
  • Non-hygroscopicity


Make spoonable sweeteners or cubes with a taste and texture very similar to sucrose by combining Zerose® erythritol and intense sweeteners for an enhanced taste profile and reduced calories.

Oral Care
  • Not fermented by oral bacteria
  • Clinically shown to reduce plaque and the risk of dental caries better than other polyols
  • Well tolerated (highest digestive tolerance of all polyols)
  • Certified “toothfriendly”
  • Attractive cooling effect
  • Works well with other polyols and high intensity sweeteners


Dental caries is a disease caused by oral bacteria that convert carbohydrates into organic acids and dental plaque, damaging teeth. Unlike sugar, erythritol is not fermented by oral bacteria, and therefore does not promote dental caries.
In oral care applications, Zerose® erythritol acts as a salivary stimulant and provides masking properties for astringent and bitter tastes. It also has demonstrated non-cariogenic properties. Its sugar-like taste and cooling effect makes it a great option for oral care products like toothpastes and rinses.
Zerose® erythritol is certified as “toothfriendly” by Toothfriendly International.

Pharmaceutical Applications
  • Inert excipient; excellent carrier in capsules
  • Excellent flowability and stability in powders
  • Attractive cooling effect


As a non-caloric excipient, Zerose® erythritol can be used in a wide range of solid and liquid dosage formulations including granulated powders, lozenges and syrups. Sugar-free lozenges crystallize easily, producing a hard, crunchy texture and refreshing, cooling effect. 

Properties

Physical Form
Odor
Odorless
Appearance
White crystalline
Soluble in
Water (up to 60g/100ml at 30°C)
Typical Properties
ValueUnitsTest Method / Conditions
Hausner Ratio1.13
Compressibility Index12%
Bulk Density610g/lPh. Eur 8.0 - Method 2.9.34
Particle Size (Volume Mean Diameter)400µm

Regulatory & Compliance

EU Labelling & Legislation

Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives and amendments regulates the use of food additives which are used:

  • to impart a sweet taste to foodstuffs
  • as table-top sweeteners

Its annex II contains a list of foodstuffs in which polyols can be used, at the quantum satis level. The use is, in most cases, restricted to foodstuffs that are either "energy-reduced" or manufactured "with no added sugars".

Definitions (for the purpose of this Regulation)

  • "with no added sugars": without any added mono- or di-saccharides or any added foodstuff containing mono- or di-saccharides which is used for its sweetening properties
  • "energy-reduced": with an energy value reduced by at least 30 % compared with the original foodstuff or a similar product

Labeling – Regulation (EU) N° 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers

  • Foodstuffs containing any polyols must carry a label "with sweetener(s)"
  • Foodstuffs containing both an added sugar or sugars and any polyols must carry a label "with sugar(s) and sweetener(s)"
  • Foodstuffs containing more than 10 % added polyols must carry a label "excessive consumption may produce laxative effects"*

All Cargill’s polyols also comply with Commission Regulation (EU) N°231/2012 and amendments laying down specifications for food additives listed in Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) N° 1333/2008 for use in foodstuffs.

We recommend including erythritol (E968) in the ingredient declaration on the labels of finished products.

Technical Details & Test Data

Production Process

Erythritol is the first polyol to be manufactured on a commercial scale by a fermentation process. The starting material is a simple sugar-rich corn substrate that is fermented by a conventional yeast to yield erythritol.

The product is then crystallized to 99.5% purity from the filtered and concentrated fermentation broth.

Erythritol occurs widely in nature in fruits (grapes, pears), in fermented foods & beverages (wine, beer, sake, soy sauce, bean paste).

Pharmaceutical Study Test Data

Particle Size
Zerose™ Erythritol - Pharmaceutical Study Test Data


Compression Profile
Zerose™ Erythritol - Pharmaceutical Study Test Data - 1


Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) pictures
Zerose™ Erythritol - Pharmaceutical Study Test Data - 2


Organoleptic Benefits
Erythritol has a similar sweetness compared to mannitol, but unlike mannitol it has significant off-taste masking properties. Tablets made with mannitol and an ingredient with an acidic taste were compared to tablets made with the same use levels of erythritol and acidic ingredient. An internal sensory evaluation showed a clear preference for the tablets made with erythritol over those made with mannitol. The main reason was the better taste and mouthfeel. Due to the cooling effect of erythritol a refreshing sensation is perceived in the mouth and this, in combination with a soothing moisturizing effect, resulted in a clear preference for erythritol. Another study investigating the off-taste masking properties of Erythritol in mouthwash showed positive effects by reducing the initial bitter flavor caused by chlorhexidine.
Zerose™ Erythritol - Pharmaceutical Study Test Data - 3


Metabolism
The metabolic profile of erythritol is unique because it is mostly inert to the human body. Unlike mannitol, erythritol is readily and essentially completely absorbed from the small intestine via passive diffusion. It is not systemically metabolized and therefore is excreted unchanged with the urine. Because of this metabolic profile, erythritol does not provide any energy to the body and has a caloric value of zero. Clinical studies have demonstrated that erythritol is well-tolerated at intakes up to 1 g/kg bw per day. As it is so well-absorbed, erythritol does not impact the gastrointestinal transit time at these levels. In addition, erythritol does not notably increase plasma glucose or insulin levels and therefore can be regarded as suitable for people with diabetes.


Moisturizing Effect
Glycerol has high humectancy (hydration) properties and for that reason is often used in topical applications as a moisturizer. As shown in the figure below, use of erythritol with glycerol in a 1:1 ratio results in significant humectancy synergy and consequently higher moisturizing capacity. WO 01/60167 – Low calorie humectant
Zerose™ Erythritol - Pharmaceutical Study Test Data - 4

Dental Study Test Data

A newly published clinical study shows evidence that erythritol demonstrated significant caries, dental plaque and Streptococcus mutans reduction versus sorbitol and xylitol. In a three-year clinical study,* the dental effects of erythritol, xylitol and sorbitol were compared among elementary school-age children. The results showed that while each polyol sweetener had dental benefits, erythritol outperformed xylitol and sorbitol in the following ways:

  • The amount of dental plaque was lower in the erythritol group
  • The number of dentine caries on teeth were lower in the erythritol group
  • Counts of Streptococcus mutans in saliva and upper dental plaque were lower in the erythritol group


Methodology: In a double-blind, parallel, randomized, controlled three-year study, 485 primary school children in Tartu, Estonia, were given 2.5g polyol tablets three times per day during school days (200 days per year). The study tested the efficacy of long-term daily intake of erythritol and xylitol candies as compared to sorbitol (control) candies. The subjects were examined annually to collect the following data:

  • Dentin caries development
  • Plaque weight
  • Oral counts of Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacilli

 Enamel and dentine caries lesions were determined with ICDAS (International Carries Detection and Assessment System) criteria by four calibrated dentists.


Dentin Caries Development: Number (%) of surfaces with caries development or restoration during entire study.
Zerose™ Erythritol - Dental Study Test Data


Time to develop enamel/dentin carries (carries score 0-3 to 4-6)
Zerose™ Erythritol - Dental Study Test Data - 1


Time to dentist intervention (restoration score 0 to 3-8)
Zerose™ Erythritol - Dental Study Test Data - 2


Dental Plaque Weight (Change against baseline over 3 years)
Zerose™ Erythritol - Dental Study Test Data - 3