Lactitol
E966
E966, INS 966, lactitol, lactitol monohydrate, lactit, lactobiosit, lactositol, lactitol monohidrato
What it is
Lactitol (INS 966 / E966) is a polyol made by hydrogenating lactose. It is a bulk sweetener and texturising ingredient: unlike intense sweeteners, it contributes physical mass as well as sweetness; under EU nutrition-labelling rules, polyols such as lactitol count as 2.4 kcal/g.
Why BOTIA flags it
Lactitol replaces both the sweetness and the bulk of sugar. Very little is absorbed: most of it reaches the colon, where it draws in water and is fermented — an osmotic effect strong enough that lactitol is also used as a laxative medicine for constipation. JECFA assigned an ADI “not specified”, while EU labels require a laxative warning only when a food contains more than 10% added polyols.
BOTIA CAN
- Detect E966, INS 966, lactitol, lactitol monohydrate, lactit, lactobiosit and lactositol when explicitly declared.
- Explain its bulk-sweetener function, minimal absorption, osmotic and colonic effects, medicinal laxative use, JECFA ADI and the EU 10% warning threshold.
BOTIA CANNOT
- Determine how much lactitol or what percentage of added polyols is present from the ingredient list alone.
- Decide from the ingredient name alone whether a laxative warning is legally required or predict an individual's digestive response.