Erythritol (E968)

Description

1. Product Overview

Erythritol (E968) is a high-purity, non-caloric sugar alcohol used as a bulking sweetener and functional excipient across food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and specialty chemical industries. Its primary industrial use is as a sugar replacer and humectant that delivers sugar-like texture and stability without fermentable calories or cariogenic risk. The key value proposition is consistent, food-grade sweetness and multifunctional performance—solubility, stability under heat and pH variations, and low hygroscopicity—delivered at industrial scale. Strategically, Erythritol enables formulators to meet global regulatory and consumer demands for low-calorie and reduced-sugar products while simplifying supply chains through a single, scalable sourcing partner.

2. Key Specifications & Technical Characteristics

• Chemical name: Erythritol (1,2,3,4-butanetetrol), E-number E968

• Chemical composition: C4H10O4; polyol (sugar alcohol) produced via fermentation and refined by crystallization

• Purity/grade: Food Grade / USP/EP-compliant (typical purity ≥ 99.0% w/w)

• Assay: Typical assay ≥ 99.0% (dry basis)

• Moisture content: ≤ 0.15–0.5% (typical specification dependent on batch)

• Residual solvents/impurities: Within USP/EP limits; heavy metals and microbial limits compliant with international food safety norms

• Physical form: White crystalline powder or granules

• Particle size: Standard crystalline granule distribution (e.g., D50 typically 150–300 µm); custom sieving available on request

• Bulk density: Approx. 600–700 kg/m3 (tapped bulk density depends on particle size)

• Solubility: Highly soluble in water (approx. 37 g/100 mL at 20°C), low solubility in organic solvents

• Hygroscopicity: Low; stable under typical storage conditions

• Melting point: Approximately 121–123°C (decomposition)

• Packaging options: 25 kg multiwall kraft bags with inner PE liner; 500 kg–1000 kg FIBC bulk bags; ISO tank solutions for liquid-handling customers (subject to product form)

• Shelf life: Recommended 24 months when stored in original, unopened packaging under dry, ambient conditions (≤ 25°C, relative humidity < 65%)

• Traceability: Batch-coded with Certificate of Analysis (CoA) and full GMP/traceability documentation available

3. Core Industrial Applications

• Food & Beverage: Sucrose replacement in reduced-calorie beverages, confectionery, baked goods, chewing gum, dairy formulations, and tabletop sweeteners. Delivers sugar-like bulk, mouthfeel, and freezing-point depression benefits in frozen desserts.

• Pharmaceutical: Excipient for oral dosage forms, chewable tablets, syrups, and parenteral formulations where non-reducing, non-fermentable bulking agent is required. Enhances stability and palatability without impacting glycemic load.

• Personal Care & Cosmetics: Humectant and texturizer in creams, lotions, oral-care products, and toothpaste formulations where low hygroscopicity and mild sweetness are desired.

• Specialty Chemicals & Industrial Food Ingredients: Intermediate in formulation of biodegradable polymers, coatings, and as a building block in certain chemical syntheses where a small, diol-like polyol is needed.
  Why it outperforms alternatives: Erythritol provides near-sucrose sweetness and bulk with zero fermentable calories, superior gastrointestinal tolerance relative to some polyols, low hygroscopicity for shelf stability, and better thermal/pH stability than certain high-intensity sweeteners—reducing reformulation complexity and total ingredient cost in large-scale production.

4. Competitive Advantages

• Quality consistency: Tight specification control and routine CoA release ensure batch-to-batch uniformity required by industrial formulators.

• Supply reliability: Robust production scale and multi-site sourcing reduce supply disruption risk; safety stocks and scheduled shipments support continuous manufacturing.

• Logistics capability: Packaging optimized for bulk handling (FIBC, palletized 25 kg bags) and coordinated container loading maximize transport efficiency; experience with global export documentation and customs compliance.

• Price competitiveness: Economies of scale and streamlined supply chain lower landed cost versus boutique suppliers; contract pricing and volume discounts available for long-term agreements.

• Sustainability benefits: Manufactured via fermentation from renewable carbohydrate feedstocks; low environmental footprint relative to petrochemical alternatives; options for certified sustainable sourcing on request.

• Technical support & documentation: Full technical datasheets, CoAs, allergen statements, SDS, regulatory dossiers, and formulation support from experienced technical service teams to accelerate qualification and scale-up.

5. Commercial & Supply Information

• Minimum order quantity (MOQ): BULK 20 MT

• Loading capacity (MT per container):

  • 20-ft container (palletized 25 kg bags): up to 20 MT (typical 800 x 25 kg bags, subject to pallet configuration)

  • 40-ft container: up to 24–26 MT depending on packaging and weight limits

  • FIBC bulk loading: containerized bulk up to 22–24 MT depending on bag and stowage efficiency