What is the Difference Between Allulose and Erythritol

The main difference between allulose and erythritol is that allulose is a monosaccharide sugar whereas erythritol is a polyol.

Allulose and erythritol are two types of sugar substitutes with lesser sweetness than usual sugar. However, allulose has about 70% of the sweetness of sucrose while erythritol has about 60% of the sweetness of sucrose.  Erythritol is also noncaloric.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is Allulose
   • Definition, Properties, Importance
2. What is Erythritol
   • Definition, Properties, Importance
3. Similarities Between Allulose and Erythritol
   • Outline of Common Features
4. Difference Between Allulose and Erythritol
   • Comparison with Key Differences

Key Terms

Allulose, Erythritol, Sugar Substitutes

What is Allulose

Allulose is a low-calorie epimer of fructose, a monosaccharide sugar. It is also a low-calorie sweetener in commercial food and beverages. It naturally occurs in some food such as wheat in small quantities. Other than that, it occurs in figs, raisins, maple syrup, and jackfruit as well. The enzymatic conversion of corn into allulose produces the allulose at the commercial level. Allulose is currently an approved food ingredient.

Figure 1: Allulose

Furthermore, the sweetness of allulose is 70% of that of sucrose. It has some cooling sensation and no bitterness. The caloric value of allulose in humans is about 0.2 to 0.4 kcal/g. Similar to the sugar alcohol erythritol, allulose is minimally metabolized and is excreted largely unchanged. Therefore, the glycemic index of allulose is very low or negligible.

What is Erythritol

Erythritol is an organic compound or a polyol important as a food additive and sugar substitute. Same as allulose,  erythritol can be produced using enzymes in corn fermentation. Also, some fruits and fermented food contain erythritol. Erythritol is 60–70% as sweet as sucrose. However, the main characteristic feature of erythritol is that it is completely noncaloric.

Figure 2: Erythritol

Moreover, erythritol is a safe sweetener and flavor enhancer in food and beverage products. It is used in coffee and tea, liquid dietary supplements, juice blends, soft drinks, and flavored water product variations, with foods including confections, biscuits and cookies, tabletop sweeteners, and sugar-free chewing gum. Erythritol is absorbed rapidly into the blood, with peak amounts occurring in under two hours; the majority of an oral dose (80 to 90%) is excreted unchanged in the urine within 24 hours.

Similarities Between Allulose and Erythritol

• Allulose and erythritol are two sugar substituents.
• They are produced by the fermentation of food.
• Moreover, they are naturally occurring in food and are mostly noncaloric.

Difference Between Allulose and Erythritol

Definition

Allulose refers to a low-calorie epimer of the monosaccharide sugar fructose used by some major commercial food and beverage manufacturers as a low-calorie sweetener while erythritol refers to an organic compound, sugar alcohol (or polyol), used as a food additive and sugar substitute.

Formula

Allulose is C₆H₁₂O₆ while erythritol is C₄H₁₀O₄.

Calore

The caloric value of allulose in humans is about 0.2 to 0.4 kcal/g while erythritol is noncaloric.

Sweetness

Allulose has about 70% of the sweetness of sucrose while erythritol has about 60% of the sweetness of sucrose.

Conclusion

In brief, allulose and erythritol are two sugar substituents that taste less sweet than sugar. However, allulose is an epimer of a monosaccharide sugar, fructose. On the other hand, erythritol is a polyol or sugar alcohol. Moreover, allulose has about 70% of the sweetness of sucrose while erythritol has about 60% of the sweetness of sucrose. In addition to that, allulose is less caloric than carbohydrates while erythritol is noncaloric. However, the main difference between allulose and erythritol is their sweetness.

References:

1. Wikimedia Foundation. (2022, June 5). PSICOSE. Wikipedia. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
2. Wikimedia Foundation. (2022, July 20). Erythritol. Wikipedia. Retrieved August 19, 2022.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Psicose” By Edgar181 – Own Work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Erythritol structure” By Su-no-G – Own Work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia