Erythritol (E 968): sugar alcohol, ADI value and labelling

Erythritol is a sugar alcohol and is authorised in the EU as food additive E 968. According to the Bavarian Consumer Advice Centre (as at 6 July 2017), it is often advertised using terms such as ‘naturally sweet’ or ‘vegan sugar substitute’. This text summarises what the EFSA, the Bavarian Consumer Advice Centre and Lebensmittelklarheit have to say about its production, calorie content, recommended intake and labelling.

What is erythritol?

In its summary published on 20 December 2023, the EFSA describes erythritol in plain language as a sugar alcohol (polyhydric alcohol) used as a sweetener. Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 defines the substance as ‘obtained by the fermentation of carbohydrate sources using safe and suitable food-grade osmophilic yeasts such as Moniliella pollinis or Moniliella megachiliensis, followed by purification and drying’.

The Bavarian Consumer Advice Centre describes the production process as a biotechnological one involving carbohydrates such as glucose and sucrose, in which fungi and yeasts convert the sugar. The process is said to be very complex, which is why the sweetener “should not be considered any more natural than other sugar substitutes”. According to the Bavarian Consumer Advice Centre, eight sugar substitutes are authorised in the EU, including sorbitol (E 420), xylitol (E 967) and erythritol (E 968).

How many calories are there in the sugar alcohol E 968?

According to the Consumer Advice Centre (as at 26 June 2025), sugar substitutes provide an average of around 2 kilocalories per gramme and are therefore generally lower in calories than sugar. The Consumer Advice Centre explicitly mentions one exception: erythritol is calorie-free. Lebensmittelklarheit (as at 24 February 2022) puts the energy content of this group at 2.4 kilocalories per gram and also describes the substance as calorie-free. With regard to blood sugar, the EFSA states that there is limited but consistent evidence – albeit no long-term studies – that this sugar alcohol does not affect blood sugar levels in humans. According to Lebensmittelklarheit, sugar substitutes do not promote tooth decay; they are therefore found primarily in ‘sugar-free’ sweets and ‘tooth-friendly’ confectionery.

How much erythritol is safe to consume?

The EFSA has re-evaluated the additive as part of its ongoing review of all additives authorised prior to 20 January 2009. It has classified the manufacturing process under review, which uses non-genetically modified yeast, as safe. The only contaminant detected was lead; the Authority recommends lowering the current limit of 0.5 mg/kg.

Regarding the dose: The lowest dose at which no adverse effects were observed, and at which no diarrhoea occurred in human studies, was 0.5 grams per kilogram of body weight. From this, the EFSA derived an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of 0.5 grams per kilogram of body weight per day – as a safeguard against the laxative effect and against possible consequences of diarrhoea, such as an electrolyte imbalance. The Authority estimates that both acute and chronic intake across all population groups exceeds this ADI value and that adverse effects may occur at high intake levels. At the same time, it points out that the exposure estimate contained uncertainties and that intake was likely overestimated. The warning ‘may have a laxative effect if consumed in excess’ remains valid.

What do the studies say about cardiovascular risk?

According to the Consumer Advice Centre, an observational study published in 2023 attracted media attention because it linked high blood levels of this sugar alcohol to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. The EFSA included the data in its re-evaluation and concluded that the current data do not show a cause-and-effect relationship between the consumption of foods containing this substance and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. According to the EFSA, it is unclear whether the circulating concentrations measured in such studies reflect intake via the food additive. The authority believes that further research could help to clarify the nature of the observed association.

Is erythritol carcinogenic?

In its re-evaluation, the EFSA states that erythritol is not genotoxic. The agency defines genotoxicity as the degree to which a substance is capable of damaging DNA in cells. The public debate on cancer has recently centred on another substance: in July 2023, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified the sweetener aspartame (E 951) as ‘possibly carcinogenic to humans’. According to the Consumer Advice Centre, this means that whilst there are studies suggesting a link, there is no clear evidence of such an effect in humans. You can read more about this in ‘Are sweeteners carcinogenic? The fact check’.

What is the difference between xylitol and erythritol?

According to the Consumer Advice Centre, both are among the eight authorised sugar substitutes: xylitol is listed as E 967, and erythritol as E 968. They differ in terms of energy content: on average, the group is estimated to contain around 2 kilocalories per gramme, whilst E 968 is considered calorie-free. The status of the assessment also varies: the EFSA re-evaluation of E 968 has been completed, whilst that of xylitol has not yet been finalised, according to the Consumer Advice Centre. In 2024, a very similar study reported comparable findings regarding high blood levels of xylitol; here too, according to the Consumer Advice Centre, there are doubts about causality, as it is unclear whether the measured plasma levels are due to consumption of the additive or result from the body’s own production. According to the Consumer Advice Centre, sugar substitutes may be used without any quantity restrictions; however, larger quantities can lead to flatulence and diarrhoea.

How can you spot sweeteners on the label?

According to the Food Transparency Regulation, food products containing these additives must bear the statement ‘contains sweetener(s)’; if they also contain sugar, the statement is ‘contains sugar(s) and sweetener(s)’. In the list of ingredients, the category name ‘sweetener’ is given alongside the substance or E number; in the example from the source, this is ‘sweetener aspartame’. If the proportion of a sugar substitute exceeds 10 per cent of the total product, the warning ‘May have a laxative effect if consumed in excess’ must appear on the packaging. Sugar substitutes do not need to be listed separately in the nutrition facts table: they are classified as carbohydrates, but not as sugars. Helpful resources: How to read an ingredients list in ten seconds and Sugar substitutes at a glance: sweeteners and sugar substitutes.

According to the list of ingredients, our drinks do not contain erythritol. Still Water is still table water; the ingredient listed is ‘natural mineral water’ – with no sugar, sweetener, flavourings or colourings. The ingredients list for Citrus includes water, carbon dioxide, the acidifier citric acid and natural citrus flavouring; this variety contains no sugar or sweetener and has 1 kcal per 100 ml. You can find an overview in the ‘Sugar-free and sweetener-free drinks’ section.

Sources

1. Re-evaluation of erythritol (E 968) as a food additive | EFSA (efsa.europa.eu, 20 December 2023), accessed on 28 October 2026. efsa.europa.eu
2. Sweeteners: What are sweeteners and sugar substitutes? (verbraucherzentrale.de), accessed on 28 October 2026. verbraucherzentrale.de
3. What exactly is the sweetener erythritol? (verbraucherzentrale.bayern), accessed on 28 October 2026. verbraucherzentrale.bayern
4. Sweetening additives: sugar substitutes and sweeteners | Lebensmittelklarheit (lebensmittelklarheit.de), accessed on 28 October 2026. lebensmittelklarheit.de