Maltitol (E965(i))

Maltitol 

Maltitol is a sugar alcohol created by hydrogenating maltose from starch hydrolysates, providing nearly identical bulk, sweetness, and functionality to sucrose but with only 2.1 kcal/g and low glycemic impact. It excels in sugar-free products by mimicking sugar's role in crystallization, texture formation, and processing tolerance across baking, extrusion, and high-heat applications without causing digestive discomfort at typical usage levels.

Food Industry Applications

• Sugar-free chocolate: Replaces sucrose 1:1 ratio to enable proper fat crystallization during tempering, delivering the signature snap, gloss, and smooth mouth-melt of full-sugar chocolate without graininess or waxy texture.

• Ice cream and frozen desserts: Depresses freezing point for superior creaminess and scoopability, supports high overrun for airy texture, and prevents ice crystal growth during storage without sorbitol-like cooling or laxation.

• Chewing gum: Sustains sweetness release over extended chewing periods just like sucrose, while maintaining firm, non-sticky gum base stability that resists softening from saliva or humidity.

• Baked goods: Builds structure, tenderness, and volume in cookies, cakes, muffins, and breads with browning reactions similar to sugar, plus extended shelf life from humectancy that prevents staling.

• Confectionery: Creates stable syrup phases for chewy gummies, jellies, caramels, and nougats with controlled crystallization that avoids graining, ensuring consistent soft texture through distribution.

Other Industry Applications

In cosmetics, serves as a humectant for moisture retention in creams and lotions; in personal care, sweetens mouthwashes and toothpastes; in textiles, softens fibers during wet processing for improved hand-feel.