ABSTRACT
Sugar alcohols, known as polyols or polyhydric alcohols, are chemically defined as saccharide derivatives in which a ketone or aldehyde group is replaced by a hydroxyl group. They are naturally present in small amounts in fruits and vegetables and are produced by microorganisms as carbohydrate reserves, reducing power storage, and osmoprotectants. As a group, sugar alcohols are similar to sucrose to some extent, but they also have health-promoting properties such as lower caloric content, noncariogenicity, and low glycemic index and insulin response. The demand for sugar alcohols is increasing rapidly in the food, beverage, confectionery, and pharmaceutical industries because of their beneficial properties. Because of the properties and developments, functional sugar alcohols are emerging as a sugar substitute and are widely used to provide functional food, nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. Erythritol is a primary four-carbon sugar alcohol that has 60-80" of the sweetness of sucrose, and is intended for use as a low-calorie sweetener in food.
