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Sugar free sweets and polyols
Sugar free sweets are not sweetener free. They commonly use polyols, also called sugar alcohols, which behave like sugar in the mouth but not in the body. Here is what the sugar free claim legally means, how the main polyols compare, and what to watch for.
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Sugar free sweets swap sugar for other sweeteners, commonly polyols, also called sugar alcohols. They taste like sugar, but the body handles them differently, which brings both benefits and drawbacks.
What the claims mean
UK law sets strict conditions for sugar claims on food:
- Sugars free: no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g.
- Low sugars: no more than 5 g of sugars per 100 g.
- No added sugars: no added sugars, or any other food used for its sweetening properties. If sugars occur naturally, the label must also say contains naturally occurring sugars.
A sugar free sweet is not calorie free. On labels, polyols are counted at 2.4 kcal per gram, compared with 4 kcal per gram for sugar and other carbohydrates. The exception is erythritol, which is counted as zero.
The main polyols compared
| Polyol | Sweetness compared with sugar | |---|---| | Sorbitol, E420 | About half as sweet | | Maltitol | 75 to 90 per cent as sweet | | Xylitol, E967 | About as sweet | | Erythritol | 60 to 70 per cent as sweet |
As a group, polyols are less sweet than sugar and have slightly less energy, so they are often combined with intense sweeteners. Some give a cooling feeling in the mouth when highly concentrated, which you may notice in sugar free boiled sweets and chewing gum: see what are sugar free sweets made with?
The benefits
- Teeth. Polyols are not fed on by the bacteria in the mouth, so they do not contribute to tooth decay: see sweets and teeth
- Blood sugar. Xylitol has little effect on blood sugar, because the body processes it without insulin, and erythritol does not affect blood sugar: see sweets and diabetes
The catches
- Laxative effects. Polyols are not fully absorbed, so eating a lot can cause wind and diarrhoea. By law, sweets with more than 10 per cent added polyols must say excessive consumption may produce laxative effects: see why do sugar free sweets carry a laxative warning?
- Dogs. Xylitol is poisonous to dogs, so keep sugar free sweets and gum away from them: see can dogs eat sweets?
- Other sweeteners. Sweets made with aspartame must say they contain a source of phenylalanine: see how to read a sweet label
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Free to cite, quote, and reuse with attribution to sweeties.net.
Questions and answers
What does sugar free mean on sweets?
A sugars free claim may only be made if the product has no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. It does not mean the sweet is free of sweeteners or calories: polyols, commonly used instead of sugar, still count at 2.4 kcal a gram.
What are polyols?
Also called sugar alcohols, they are sweeteners such as sorbitol, maltitol, xylitol, isomalt and erythritol. As a group they are less sweet than sugar, with slightly less energy, and they are often combined with intense sweeteners.
Are sugar free sweets healthy?
They are kinder to teeth, because polyols are not fed on by mouth bacteria, but they are not calorie free, and eating a lot can cause wind and diarrhoea, which is why sweets with over 10 per cent added polyols carry a laxative warning.
Sources
- Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, Annex, legislation.gov.uk
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex XIV, legislation.gov.uk
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex III, legislation.gov.uk
- Sugar alcohol, Wikipedia
- Sorbitol, Wikipedia
- Maltitol, Wikipedia
- Xylitol, Wikipedia
- Erythritol, Wikipedia
- Paws off xylitol; it's dangerous for dogs, US Food and Drug Administration
Keep reading
- Questions people askWhat are sugar free sweets made with?Sugar free sweets use sugar alcohols such as maltitol, sorbitol, isomalt and xylitol, often with intense sweeteners. What they are and what the label says.
- Questions people askWhy do sugar free sweets carry a laxative warning?Sugar free sweets use sugar alcohols the gut cannot fully absorb, so too many can cause wind and diarrhoea. The law requires a warning. And the Haribo saga.
- Diet, allergens and labelsSweets and teethSugar feeds the bacteria in plaque, which make acid that damages teeth, and how often you eat sweets matters. What the NHS advises, and the Vipeholm story.
- Diet, allergens and labelsSweets and diabetesDiabetes UK says chocolate is fine in moderation, advises against so called diabetic products, and lists jelly babies among hypo treatments.
- Questions people askCan dogs eat sweets?No. Sugar free sweets and gum can contain xylitol, which can kill a dog. Chocolate and raisins are dangerous too. If your dog eats sweets, call your vet.
- Diet, allergens and labelsHow to read a sweet labelWhat each part of a sweet label means: ingredients by weight, allergens in bold, E numbers, the nutrition table, legal warnings and when there is no date.