Now Foods Erythritol Natural Sweetener

by NOW Foods Food Products

Product Features

• 1 Pounds Powder
• Serving Size:

Product Description

Size: 1 lb

Erythritol, a ployol (sugar alcohol), is a good-tasting sweetener which is suitable for a variety of reduced-calorie and sugar-free foods. It can be used as a sugar substitute in most sugar-free recipes. Erythritol has been part of the human diet for thousands of years due to its presence in foods such as pears, melons, grapes and mushrooms. NOW Erythritol is 100% pure and derived from a corn source. Erythritol resembles sugar in consistency and taste but has a caloric value near zero. It is also a great sugar alternative for diabetics. Eyrthritol, like Xylitol, may also inhibit cavities by denying plaque bacteria the fuel (sugar) it needs to erode tooth enamel.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 4 x 3 x 6 inches ; 1.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B000Z978SS
• UPC: 733739069276
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,779 in Health & Personal Care (See Top 100 in Health & Personal Care)
  • #36 in Grocery & Gourmet Food > Cooking & Baking Supplies > Sugar Substitutes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

76 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great stuff!, August 10, 2008

By 

kalyson (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

If you do some research on natural sweeteners with a zero glycemic index, you will see that Erythritol is one of the best. It is a sugar alcohol found in various fruits and vegetables like Xylitol. But unlike Xylitol, it is not dangerously toxic to dogs and does not have bloating, gaseous effects. If you don't need a sweetener without blood sugar effects, you can look at brown rice syrup or agave, since they have a very low effect on blood sugar. If you want no blood sugar effects at all, I'd recommend this, since it has a very nice taste (like sugar) with no aftertaste. Stevia is another option, but is very strong and has a less appealing taste. If you use even a bit too much, Stevia generally has a rather bitter aftertaste. This is not true of Erythritol.

I would say the only downside is the cost and that it is only 70% as sweet as sugar. You can spike it with Stevia to make up the difference if you like Stevia. It doesn't take much to add to get it a lot sweeter. You should shake it up really well before using, though.

Note: If you want to buy this particular item, I discovered that this company has not charged me extra shipping for more bags going to the same address. I would avoid EmeraldForest, though, because the Erythritol I got from them had a very strange, foul smell -- like mothballs -- and had a faint aftertaste that was the same. Their customer service was very nasty when I called to return it, in spite of their "100% satisfaction guarantee". I am sticking with Now Foods from now on.

Also: It is a bit misleading that they call this particular item "powdered". Regular powdered sugar is pulverized and has cornstarch added to give it that silky feel, as well as calcium phosphate to improve its flowing ability. What they mean here, though, is that it is a much finer grain than their regular erythritol. It is still a grain, however. I buy it because it dissolves faster than the larger crystals, but both are good products.

46 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect, natural sugar substitute, May 30, 2009

By 

Daniel L Edelen (Mt. Orab, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Now Foods' erythritol is a sugar substitute made from corn. By fermenting the corn's sugars, the manufacturer produces a naturally-occurring sugar alcohol product. Sugar alcohols taste exactly like sugar, but without the calories and blood sugar spike. And they are alcohols in chemistry terms only, not to be confused with the kind of alcohol one finds in adult beverages.

PROS:

* Tastes just like sugar and has no unpleasant aftertastes, unlike stevia.

* Has a glycemic index of zero. Great for diabetics or those simply wishing to eliminate excess sugar from their diets.

* Contains virtually no calories.

* Made by a manufacturer committed to a wide range of sweeteners and food products, so the company is experienced and trusted in its field.

* Erythritol occurs naturally in many foods. The FDA recognizes it as a viable and safe sugar substitute. Erythritol-based sweeteners have been on the market in other countries for years.

* Unlike some other sugar alcohols such as xylitol, mannitol, and sorbitol, it will not cause gas if consumed in large amounts.

* Not only does erythritol not promote tooth decay, it actually prevents it, inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria in the mouth.

* Can be used in baking.

CONS:

* Not quite as sweet as sugar. You need about a quarter to a third more erythritol by volume for an equivalent.

* Though it tastes exactly like sugar, erythritol has a slight, mint-like, cooling effect on the tongue. In foods where that effect would be undesirable, erythritol would need to be combined with another sweetener to diminish the effect. (This effect seems to vary from person to person, too.)

* In some clear liquids such as tea, adding erythritol will initially cloud the liquid, though the cloudiness fades quickly. (That issue probably comes from the release of oxygen bubbles as the product dissolves.)

* Though it dissolves, erythritol does not do so as rapidly as sugar. It will retain its granularity in some foods. (Some people recommended powdering it to compensate.)

* Because it involves more steps to make than corn syrup or sugar, this is not a cheap product. Perhaps in the future, economies of scale will drive the price down.

Many companies are discovering the benefits of erythritol as a natural sugar substitute that lacks the nagging questions that dog artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame. Now Foods' erythritol is one of the best values in this natural sweetener on the market, available at a much lower price point than some competitors' products. Though not cheap compared with sugar or some artificial sweeteners, as a healthy alternative, it more than makes up for its higher cost.

Definitely recommended.

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tastes EXACTLY LIKE SUGAR,No aftertaste!, March 6, 2007

By 

E. Morrison "eyecon" (New York, New York USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This stuff is amazing-it not only tastes exactly like sugar it looks like sugar. This is the only substitute sugar my husband has not detected. We have had it in our sugar bowl for five months and he still thinks it is sugar!

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