How can candy be sugar free?
For years now, food manufacturers have developed sugar-free alternatives for many foods, including candy. Examples include sugarless gum, dietetic candy, breath mints and many sugarless medicines. While these items are sugar-free, they still contain some calories. They do not cause cavities because the bacteria that cause cavities cannot digest them. The ingredients that make these sugar-free foods are called sugar alcohols. Some are found naturally in foods, but many are made by hydrogenating sugars. Sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, and xylitol are derived from sucrose, mannose, maltose, and xylose respectively. These ingredients are primarily available to food manufacturers. One drawback to sugar alcohols, such as sorbitol, is it absorbs slowly in the small intestine. This can lead to diarrhea, abdominal pain and gas. Therefore, foods cannot contain more than 30 grams of sorbitol. Sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol provide 1.6 to 3.0 calories per gram compared to 4 c
