Full Erythritol Approval in the European Union Draws Near

11/02/08 The 15th of February 2008 will be an important day for the European food industry. By that date, Erythritol, the novel low calorie polyol sweetener will be fully approved in all countries of the European Union. Thus, the EU finally joins the group of countries that have an erythritol approval already. Some of them as long as a decade or more, like Japan or the USA.

Jungbunzlauer claims to be the only European producer of this innovative sweetener, offering a non-GMO product which is obtained by fermentation of carbohydrate sources.

Erythritol will have a strong impact on the European market of energy reduced consumer products, but its benefits go beyond sugar reduction:

• the first and only natural sugar alcohol available
• glycemic index close to zero
• low laxativeness
• easy blending with other sweeteners

These features and some more qualify erythritol for innovative and natural product concepts. Such concepts can be witnessed in the USA and Japan where they have great success and are growing strongly. Other Asian and American countries are following this trend now.

Today’s European regulatory situation is very much in favour of erythritol since the Health Claims Regulation (Regulation EC No. 1924/2006) will change the face and formulation of a large number of food products. Erythritol is the natural & healthy alternative for the common sweeteners and will increasingly play an important role in the reformulation of today’s low calorie products.

Erythritol is part of the HealthyChoices@Jungbunzlauer concept, which addresses the key health trends in the food industry, namely sugar replacement, salt substitution and mineral fortification.