Polyols
sugar alcohols
What it is
Polyols, also called sugar alcohols, are carbohydrates used mainly for sweetness and bulk. Common examples include sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol, erythritol, mannitol, isomalt and lactitol.
Why BOTIA flags it
A nutrition label may declare polyols as a single value, while the ingredient list shows which individual polyols are present. BOTIA connects those two pieces of information without assuming how much of each polyol the product contains.
BOTIA CAN
- Read the polyol value when it is declared on the nutrition label and preserve its unit and basis.
- Identify individual polyols when they are named in the ingredient list.
- Connect the declared value with the applicable regulatory information and documented evidence where relevant.
BOTIA CANNOT
- Determine how much of each individual polyol is present when the label gives only a combined value.
- Predict an individual's tolerance to a polyol from the nutrition label.
- Treat an undeclared polyol value as zero.