Sugar alcohols (polyols) in food

Determination of polyol content in food with an HPLC-PAD method.

Polyols or sugar alcohols occur naturally in foods like fruits and vegetables. Polyols are also often added to low-sugar and sugar-free products since they provide a similar sweetness to sugar without the extra calories. Also, polyols are less conducive to tooth decay or elevating blood glucose levels than sucrose.

The following polyols can be determined with the method:

• Alpha-D-glucopyranosido-1,6-mannitol (GPM)

• Alpha-D-glucopyranosido-1,6-sorbitol (GPS)

• Maltitol

• Mannitol

• Sorbitol

• Xylitol