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Polyols FAQs
Do polyols cause laxation?
Polyols have been an important part of sugar-free confec-
tions for several decades. They are a great formulation
tool for reducing calories, lowering glycemic response, and
formulating tooth-friendly confections. These same advan-
tages also carry with them a caution like fber, polyols
are low digestible carbohydrates (LDCs). What is not
absorbed in the upper gastrointestinal tract can, at certain
levels, lead to osmotic imbalances and/or be fermented
by bacteria causing loose stools and gas. Used within
sensible guidelines, however, polyols can improve your
formulation without causing problems.
I have heard that some people say that
they cannot tolerate polyols. Are they
exaggerating?
Not necessarily. As with any food substance, some people
are more sensitive than others. In North America, the general
population only consumes about 1/3 the recommended
daily amount of fber, so we have very little tolerance to
LDCs. Tolerance is afected by individual response, age, body
weight, makeup of individual colonic microfora, gender,
psyche, health, diet, any drugs or antibiotics, and other foods
consumed. People also react diferently in terms of response
loose stool, nausea, headache, cramping, gas pains, fatu-
lence, bloating, etc. may occur if polyols are over-consumed.
There is common agreement that these efects like the
efects of fber are transitory. It is important to know the
circumstances around the problem. How much food product
was consumed? Were polyols the only LDCs in the food prod-
uct? In many cases, we have found that either there was
too high a % of LDCs in the formulation OR more often
than not, the individual consumed more than 1-2 servings.
Are all polyols the same in terms of laxation?
No. If you refer to Ingredions Polyol Comparison Chart
at www.ingredion.com, you will note that there are many
chemically-diferent polyols. We have identifed a Laxation
Threshold by grams/day. Naturally, this will vary by individual
for the reasons given above, but laxation is dictated also
by chemical factors such as molecular weight (larger mol-
ecules will cause less osmotic imbalance), solubility, and
whether or not the substance is absorbed in the small intes-
tines. Some of this is refected in the grams/day number.
What are the recommended levels for
using polyols?
Remember that the Laxation Threshold Levels will give
you a broad idea of the level of tolerance for a certain
polyol. Remember also that this Laxation Threshold is a
PER DAY level when a normal amount of food is also being
consumed. In no case should an individual consume more
than 30-50 grams of an LDC at one time, depending on the
chemical and physical characteristics of the LDCs (molecu-
lar weight and absorption characteristics are key). This can
be controlled at the serving size level, either by reducing
serving size or following these basic guidelines:
Safety zone: <15 gm/serving disaccharide
<20 gm/serving polysaccharide
Remember that the consumer often consumes more than
one serving!
Are there any mandatory levels at which I
must add a warning to my package?
Yes.
In the USA these are 20 g/d for mannitol (21 CFR 180.25),
50 g/d for sorbitol (21 CFR 184.1835), and 15 g polydex-
trose per serving (21 CFR 172.841).
In the EU a trigger amount is expressed diferently.
Mandatory labeling is triggered when polyol comprises
10% of the food product.
Codex Alimentarius: Standard 181 (1991) If the food
provides a daily intake of sugar alcohols in excess of 20
g per day, there shall be a statement on the label to the
efect that the food may have a laxative efect. This is
not mandatory, it is a guideline.