Sweetness

Xylitol is naturally as sweet as sugar, and as a result can be used to replace table sugar on a one to one basis. Other sugar alcohols are substantially less sweet and must be coupled with high intensity artificial sweeteners in order to replace sugar. There are indications that many artificial sweeteners may have negative health consequences. Xylitol shows none of these negative indications.

Regulatory Status

Internationally, the Joint (FAO/WHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) has given Xylitol the most favored acceptable daily intake (ADI) possible, “not specified” or, in other words, safe for unlimited consumption(1). In the U.S., the FDA has approved Xylitol for food use with a commensurate unlimited recommended consumption rate(2). Xylitol is not prohibited by any government and is currently marketed in every industrialized nation.

Canine Incompatibility

Xylitol, like chocolate, has a negative health effect on dogs. However, unlike chocolate poisoning, Xylitol consumption can be treated.(3)

1. FAO/WHO. Summary of toxicalogical data of certain food additives, Twenty-first Report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. Geneva, WHO Technical Report Series No. 617. 1978. p. 124-27.
2. US Government. 21 Code of Federal Regulations, Section 172.395. 2000.
3. Dunayer Eric K. Hypoglycemia following canine ingestion of Xylitol-containing gum. Veterinary and Human Toxicology 2004;46:87-88