What Are Sugar Alcohols?
Sugar alcohols are a class of sweeteners the FDA permits as sugar substitutes, including sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, mannitol, erythritol and maltitol. The FDA says they range from 25 to 100 percent as sweet as sugar, are slightly lower in calories than sugar, do not promote tooth decay or cause a sudden increase in blood glucose, and are used to sweeten foods such as sugar-free candies, cookies and chewing gums.
For nutrition labels, federal rules define sugar alcohols as saccharide derivatives in which a hydroxyl group replaces a ketone or aldehyde group, and set a calorie value for each, from 0 calories per gram for erythritol and 1.6 for mannitol to 2.4 for xylitol, 2.6 for sorbitol and 3.0 for hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, against the general 4 calories per gram used for carbohydrates. Declaring grams of sugar alcohol on the label is voluntary, unless the label makes a claim about sugar alcohol or total sugars, or about added sugars when sugar alcohols are present.
Individual sugar alcohols raise their own questions. The FDA warns that xylitol can cause a dangerous drop in blood sugar in dogs, and Cleveland Clinic studies have linked erythritol to blood clotting risk, a link the FDA says the observational studies did not establish as causal.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- Regulatory filingThe FDA permits sugar alcohols as sugar substitutes, with examples including sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, mannitol, erythritol and maltitol. US FDA ↗
- Government sourceThe FDA says sugar alcohols range from 25 to 100 percent as sweet as sugar, are slightly lower in calories than sugar, and do not promote tooth decay or cause a sudden increase in blood glucose. US FDA ↗
- Regulatory filingUnder 21 CFR 101.9, nutrition labels use calorie factors for sugar alcohols including isomalt 2.0, xylitol 2.4, maltitol 2.1, sorbitol 2.6, mannitol 1.6 and erythritol 0 calories per gram. eCFR, 21 CFR 101.9 ↗
- Regulatory filingUnder 21 CFR 101.9, declaring sugar alcohol grams is voluntary unless the label makes a claim about sugar alcohol, total sugars, or added sugars when sugar alcohols are present. eCFR, 21 CFR 101.9 ↗
- Government sourceThe FDA says xylitol does not stimulate insulin release in people, but in dogs it may cause a potent insulin release and a rapid, profound drop in blood sugar. US FDA ↗
- Government sourceThe FDA says it reviewed a 2023 paper on possible cardiovascular effects of erythritol and determined the observational studies cited did not establish a causal link. US FDA ↗
Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.