Erythritol

Icon Foods supplies bulk erythritol to food and beverage manufacturers across North America. ErySweet™ is available in four particle sizes, in conventional and organic grades, and in engineered blends with stevia and monk fruit. Kosher certified, Non-GMO Project verified, and shipping from our Portland, Oregon facility.

Erythritol is a four-carbon polyol roughly 70% as sweet as sucrose with near-zero calories. In formulation it does the job high-intensity sweeteners cannot: it provides bulk. That makes it the structural backbone of most reduced-sugar systems rather than a sweetener used on its own.

Bulk Erythritol Specifications

Erythritol may be labeled as a natural ingredient under U.S. FDA and FTC regulations. Every order ships with a certificate of analysis, safety data sheet, technical data sheet, country of origin statement, and allergen statement.

Why Erythritol Tolerates So Well

Of all the polyols, erythritol has the highest digestive tolerance. It is readily absorbed in the small intestine and excreted unchanged through the kidneys, with only about 5% metabolized. That is the mechanism behind both its near-zero calorie contribution and the fact that it does not produce the gastrointestinal response common to other sugar alcohols at comparable use levels.

Erythritol also has the lowest molecular weight of the polyols, which is what drives its strong freezing point depression in frozen systems.

Particle Size Matters More Than Most Buyers Expect

Erythritol behaves differently depending on how finely it is milled, and choosing the wrong grade is a common reason a reduced-sugar formulation underperforms. We stock four grades so the ingredient matches your process rather than the reverse.

Organic grades are available at 20 to 60 and 80 to 120 mesh, certified through Oregon Tilth.

Erythritol Blends and Sweetener Systems

Erythritol rarely works alone. At 70% the sweetness of sugar it needs a high-intensity partner to close the gap, and the pairing choice affects taste, cost in use, and label. These are systems we already build.

Most of these are available in multiple mesh grades and in organic versions. If none fits your system, we build custom blends in-house. See custom blends and formulation support.

Formulating With Erythritol

The cooling effect, and how to manage it

Erythritol has a high negative heat of solution, producing a cooling sensation as it dissolves. In mints and gum that is an asset. In chocolate, baked goods, and dairy it usually is not.

Three approaches work. Blend erythritol with a bulking agent that carries no cooling effect, such as allulose or soluble fiber. Reduce the erythritol fraction and let a high-intensity sweetener carry more of the sweetness load. Or select a finer mesh, since particle size influences dissolution rate and therefore perceived cooling.

Our paper on where erythritol fits in food formulations covers cooling effect, water activity, and thermal stability in detail.

Erythritol does not brown

Erythritol is non-browning. Where Maillard color and flavor development matter, pair it with tagatose or allulose, or use BakeSweet+™, which is built to brown.

Freezing point depression

Erythritol's low molecular weight gives it strong freezing point depression, which frozen systems benefit from directly. See our work on engineering better frozen desserts.

Crystallization

Erythritol crystallizes readily. That is useful in panned confections and unhelpful in soft systems where grittiness can develop over shelf life. Finer grades and blending both reduce the risk. Our field guide to panned confections works through maltitol, isomalt, and erythritol in coating systems.

Solubility and thermal stability

Erythritol is water soluble and soluble in most basic food grade solvents, and stable under normal conditions of use. In cold beverage systems, ErySweet™ Ultra at 130 to 170 mesh dissolves substantially faster than standard crystalline.

Applications

Beverages

Fine and ultra-fine grades dissolve cleanly in ready-to-drink and dry mix systems. Blends outperform straight erythritol where mouthfeel matters. See beverage applications and our work on RTD coffee formulation.

Confectionery and chocolate

Crystallization behavior and snap hold up in panned confections, chocolate, and chews. Supreme grade suits smooth chocolate systems. See confectionery applications.

Frozen desserts

Strong freezing point depression makes erythritol useful in frozen systems, usually as part of a blend. See frozen dairy applications.

Baked goods and bars

Erythritol provides bulk and structure but no browning. See baked goods and bars.

Erythritol and GLP-1

Erythritol and xylitol have been shown to stimulate gastrointestinal hormone release, with implications for appetite regulation. As GLP-1 friendly product development accelerates, that mechanism is drawing formulator interest. Our paper on erythritol, xylitol and GLP-1 hormone stimulation covers the research.

The Erythritol Conversation, Honestly

Erythritol has taken headline damage since 2023, and formulators are right to ask about it. Two things are worth separating: the science, and the supply economics.

On the science, erythritol has not been banned and has not stopped functioning. It remains GRAS in the United States and compliant with JECFA guidelines. Thom King's assessment in Erythritol Isn't Dead works through what the studies actually showed and what they did not.

On economics, antidumping and countervailing duties have materially changed erythritol pricing, and that is a real formulation input. The Erythritol Reckoning covers the science and the risk profile, and Part II covers the trade policy that followed. For teams evaluating alternatives, Sweetener Breakups Are Hard and The Polyol Pivot lay out the options, and our isomalt comparison examines one specific replacement.

We supply erythritol and we supply the alternatives. We would rather tell you which one fits your system than sell you the one we happen to be holding.

Supply and Sourcing

ErySweet™ is manufactured in China and sold from our Portland, Oregon facility, which operates under Oregon Department of Agriculture Food Safety Division establishment #88294 and is a registered FDA food manufacturing facility. Given current trade conditions, we maintain multi-origin supply pools. More on sourcing and documentation, and on current conditions in our erythritol market outlook.

What Products Contain Erythritol?

Erythritol appears across a wide range of reduced-sugar and sugar-free products. If you are reading a label and wondering where it shows up, these are the common categories:

• Tabletop sweeteners. Most spoon-for-spoon sugar substitutes use erythritol as the bulking agent, blended with stevia or monk fruit.
• Sugar-free confectionery. Hard candy, chocolate, gummies, and chews.
• Protein and nutrition bars. Sweetness and structure without added sugar.
• Reduced-sugar beverages. Ready-to-drink, dry mixes, and functional drinks.
• Ice cream and frozen desserts. Usually as part of a blend.
• Baked goods. Cookies, cakes, and mixes marketed as keto, low-carb, or no sugar added.
• Keto and low-carb packaged foods. Erythritol is the most common bulk sweetener in this category.

On an ingredient panel, erythritol may appear by name or within a sweetener blend. It is a sugar alcohol, so it is declared under Total Carbohydrate and under Sugar Alcohol where applicable. It contributes 0 g total sugars and 0 g added sugars.

Request a Sample

Tell us the application and the grade you are considering. We will send ErySweet™ with full documentation, and if a blend or a different ingredient suits your system better we will say so. Samples ship in 24 to 48 hours, and we hold no minimum order quantity.