Maltitol
Maltitol is a sugar alcohol made by hydrogenating maltose. It provides sweetness with fewer calories than sucrose and is used in sugar-free foods.
Sugar alcohol: A carbohydrate-derived compound in which a sugar’s carbonyl group is reduced to an alcohol group. Maltitol belongs to this class of sweeteners, also called polyols.
Sugar-free food: Food formulated without sugar or with sugar below a specified labeling threshold. Maltitol supplies sweetness and bulk in many sugar-free products.
Sorbitol: A sugar alcohol used as a sweetener, humectant, and pharmaceutical ingredient. Both are polyols, but maltitol is sweeter and has different digestive effects.
Laxative: A substance that promotes bowel movements or eases constipation. Large amounts of maltitol can have a laxative effect because it is incompletely absorbed.
Maltose: A disaccharide composed of two glucose units linked by an α(1→4) bond. Hydrogenation of maltose produces maltitol.
Chocolate: A food made from processed cacao ingredients, often combined with sugar and other ingredients. Maltitol can replace sugar in chocolate while preserving bulk and a similar texture.
Erythritol: A four-carbon sugar alcohol used as a low-calorie sweetener. Erythritol is absorbed more completely and usually causes less laxation than maltitol.
Caloric content of food: The amount of dietary energy supplied by a food, commonly expressed in kilocalories. Maltitol supplies fewer calories per gram than sucrose, but it is not calorie-free.
Hydrogenation: A chemical reaction that adds hydrogen atoms to a molecule, often reducing double bonds or carbonyl groups. It converts maltose’s carbonyl group into maltitol’s alcohol group.
Sugar substitute: A substance used in place of sugar to provide sweetness or related functions in food. Maltitol substitutes for some of sugar’s sweetness, mass, and mouthfeel.