Mannitol
E421
E421, INS 421, mannitol, D-mannitol, mannite, manitol, mannitol by hydrogenation, mannitol by fermentation
What it is
Mannitol (INS 421 / E421) is a polyol used as a bulk sweetener and texturising ingredient. Codex also lists it as an anti-caking agent, carrier, humectant, stabilizer and thickener, so it can appear in sugar-free foods as well as powders and other dry products; under EU nutrition-labelling rules, polyols such as mannitol count as 2.4 kcal/g.
Why BOTIA flags it
Mannitol replaces both the sweetness and the bulk of sugar, and can also keep powders from clumping. It is poorly absorbed: the unabsorbed fraction holds water in the intestine, and laxative effects have been reported at about 10–20 g — lower amounts than for most other common polyols. 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 E421, INS 421, mannitol, D-mannitol and mannite when explicitly declared.
- Explain its bulk-sweetener and anti-caking functions, poor absorption, reported 10–20 g laxative threshold, JECFA ADI and the EU 10% warning threshold.
BOTIA CANNOT
- Determine how much mannitol 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.