erythritol

1. (organic chemistry) A naturally occurring tetrahydric sugar alcohol, (2R,3S)-butane-1,2,3,4-tetraol, found in some fruits and used as a food additive and sugar substitute.Examples: "Erythritol exists naturally in a wide variety of foods, including mushrooms, watermelons, pears and grapes. Erythritol is also found in fermented foods such as cheese, wine, sake, beer and soy sauce. In addition, erythritol is present in the tissues and bodily fluids of humans and animals."; "The resulting concentrated fermentation broth facilitates the isolation and purification of erythritol."; "Erythritol is absorbed rapidly in the small intestine due to its small molecular size and structure. According to clinical studies in Europe and Japan, more than 90 percent of ingested erythritol is absorbed but not metabolized."