İzomalt

Detailed information

What it is & how it is made

Isomalt is a sugar alcohol (polyol); its synonym is hydrogenated isomaltulose. The EU specification states its manufacture explicitly: 'manufactured by enzymatic conversion of sucrose with nonviable cells of Protaminobacter rubrum followed by catalytic hydrogenation'. Its principal components are the disaccharides 6-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-D-sorbitol and 1-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-D-mannitol dihydrate, and the content of hydrogenated mono- and disaccharides is not less than 98 percent (Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012, E 953).

Where it is used

It is listed among the sweeteners in EU Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008; its JECFA functional classes are sweetener, bulking agent, anticaking agent and glazing agent. Sugar-free confectionery and chewing gum and table-top sweeteners are its main fields of use. The Turkish Food Codex Regulation on Food Additives follows the same list.

Health note

At its 29th meeting (1985) JECFA left the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for isomalt 'not specified'. In the EU, table-top sweeteners containing polyols must bear the warning 'excessive consumption may induce laxative effects' under Article 23(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008. EFSA's sweetener re-evaluation programme covering the polyols is ongoing; to date only erythritol (E 968) has been completed (EFSA Journal 2023;21(12):8430), and EFSA has reported a genotoxicity data gap for isomalt.

Halal assessment

The raw material is written explicitly into the legislation: sucrose, that is, sugar of plant origin. The enzymatic conversion step uses nonviable cells of the bacterium Protaminobacter rubrum, followed by catalytic hydrogenation. The EU specification records nothing about animal raw material. Even so, for the whole production chain definitive information should be obtained from the manufacturer's halal certificate.