Tooth friendly, zero calorie (0.2cals/g), good for diabetics (it doesn’t raise blood sugar), and well-tolerated in the gut, erythritol is about 60-70% as sweet as sugar.
It also blends well with high intensity sweeteners such as stevia and monk fruit and is used in everything from ice cream, confectionery, baked goods, beverages, and table-top sweeteners such as Truvia, Nectresse and Perfecta.
However, some consumers seeking non-GMO options have objected to it because firms producing erythritol in commercial quantities typically do so via fermentation, where a sugar-rich substrate (that is sometimes derived from genetically engineered corn), is fermented by a yeast strain to yield erythritol.
While the erythritol itself does not contain any genetically modified proteins, some firms have been accused of misleading consumers by calling products containing erythritol ‘natural’. (Click here for details of a lawsuit filed against Cargill in which the plaintiff makes these allegations).
Florida-based Pyure Brands - which produces a variety of commercial and retail natural sweetening products - will publicly unveil its non-GMO organic erythritol at Natural Products Expo East in Baltimore later this week at booth #2523.