Mannitol

Mannitol is a member of the sugar alcohol family. It does not absorb moisture into products (non-hygroscopic) and is therefore often used as a dusting powder for chewing gum to prevent the gum from sticking to manufacturing equipment and wrappers. It is also included in chocolate-flavored coating agents for ice cream and sweets due to its high melting point and does not discolor at high temperatures, which makes it ideal for use in pharmaceuticals and nutritional tablets. Polyols such as mannitol are known to help prevent the development of dental caries (tooth decay). Each gram serving of mannitol has only 1.6 calories, which is less than half the calorie value of sucrose (4.0 kcal/g). This makes it very useful in the production of sugar-free products. Because mannitol is only partially absorbed by the body, it significantly reduces the rise in blood glucose and insulin levels.