Do SmartForme products contain sugar alcohols?
Of the many SmartForme products, only our Bari-15 Snack Bars contain some added amounts of sugar alcohols. Before explaining how much and why, it is important to give a little food science lesson on the function of sugar alcohols. Before the low-carbohydrate craze a few years back, small amounts of sugar alcohols like xylitol, sorbitol and maltitol were functionally used as a humectant in nutrition bars to help maintain their soft texture. When the low-carb craze hit, bar companies began using large amounts of sugar alcohols to replace sugar, thereby allowing them to slip through a labeling loophole and make claims that their bars contained low-to-no sugar or carbohydrate. Fortunately, the FDA finally stepped in and ruled this as being an inappropriate labeling practice. But the lasting result is a whole lot of bars on the market with 20 grams or more of sugar alcohols. Not only can they cause dumping syndrome in post-surgery gastric bypass patients, but also can cause a very uncomfort
