E967 / Glazing agents, gases & sweeteners
Xylitol
Safety in brief
Safe in moderation
Recorded EatMatrix rating, not a new clinical review. The amount, your sensitivities and country rules still matter.
- Watch for
- Recorded sensitivities: May cause digestive upset (gas, bloating) at higher intakes..
- Our advice
- The cardiovascular signal merits attention, but blood levels, short platelet experiments and long-term dietary risk are different evidence. We do not infer a personal safe dose or a country ban from these studies. Gut symptoms and the total amount consumed also matter.
What it is
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol found naturally in small amounts in fruits and vegetables, roughly as sweet as sugar but with about 40% fewer calories. It's popular in sugar-free gum, mints, and oral care products because it reduces cavity-causing bacteria in the mouth. It has a low glycemic index, making it a common choice for people managing blood sugar. Eating large amounts can cause digestive discomfort like gas and bloating, and it is highly toxic to dogs even in small quantities.
Also appears on labels as: Xylitol, E967, E 967, E-967, Xylose alcohol, Birch sugar, Wood sugar, Xylitol sweetener, Xylitol powder, Xylitol granules, Ksilitolis, Ksilīts.
Dietary information
- Vegan
- Yes
- Halal
- Yes
- Gluten-free
- Yes
- Allergens
- Caution
Recorded ingredient information. Check the product label or certification: sources, other ingredients and cross-contact can vary.
Research & body effects
What human studies mean for E967
Blood xylitol, heart events and platelets are different questions
A 2024 study linked higher fasting blood xylitol to more cardiovascular events in two cardiac-assessment cohorts of 1,157 and 2,149 people. Blood concentration is not the same as recorded dietary intake: the body can also produce xylitol. This association does not prove that eating xylitol caused the events.
A separate acute experiment in 10 healthy volunteers found increased platelet reactivity after a xylitol drink. A laboratory measure of platelet response is a warning signal to investigate, not an observed increase in heart attacks among those volunteers. Cell and animal experiments are additional mechanistic evidence, not human clinical outcomes.
Blood xylitol and cardiovascular events, with an acute platelet experiment. Abstract plus selected publisher discussion and funding read; complete methods, supplements and declarations remain pending. First-online date checked against publisher metadata.
A five-week pilot found no difference in other body measures
Forty-two adults with obesity completed a randomized pilot using erythritol at 36 g/day, xylitol at 24 g/day, or no supplement for five weeks. Vascular function, abdominal fat and glucose tolerance did not significantly differ between groups. The no-supplement group was not blinded; the sample and follow-up were small.
These were different outcomes from the acute platelet studies. A null pilot does not prove long-term safety, and it cannot tell us whether heart attacks or strokes become more or less likely.
Five-week erythritol and xylitol pilot: vascular and metabolic measures. Selected main-text methods, results, limitations and funding read; complete declarations and supplements remain pending. Published online in November 2023, although the indexed record appeared later.
September 2026 update: a conflicting result, still a preprint
A newly indexed preprint reports a randomized crossover experiment in 14 healthy people using 50 g erythritol, 33.5 g xylitol or water. It found no increase in the measured platelet or clotting-related markers. Platelets are blood cells involved in clotting.
This is a small, short experiment that has not been treated here as peer-reviewed evidence. Its differing result deserves follow-up; it does not automatically overturn earlier work or settle long-term cardiovascular risk.
Preprint: no increased platelet reactivity in a small polyol crossover study. Indexed author abstract read. Listed as a preprint when checked; not treated as peer-reviewed evidence. Complete methods, declarations and any later version remain to be checked.
Related whole-diet evidence: a benefit and a trade-off
The 2025 SWEET trial compared low-sugar diets that allowed or excluded products with many sweeteners after an initial weight-loss phase. The analysis of 277 adults who reached the initial loss target favoured allowing these products by about 1.6 kg at one year. The difference was not statistically significant when only completers were analysed.
About 40% of recruited adults did not complete the study. The sweetener group reported more abdominal pain, loose stools and gas. Many products and ingredients varied together: neither the weight result nor the symptoms can be attributed to this one additive.
Related whole-diet SWEET trial: weight maintenance and gut symptoms. Selected main-text methods, results, limitations and declarations read; supplements not fully appraised. EU Horizon 2020 funding; several authors disclose food-industry relationships.
EatMatrix’s reading
The cardiovascular signal merits attention, but blood levels, short platelet experiments and long-term dietary risk are different evidence. We do not infer a personal safe dose or a country ban from these studies. Gut symptoms and the total amount consumed also matter.
A practical choice
Compare the whole food and your usual alternative, including free sugars, fibre and how often you eat it. Water or an unsweetened drink is a straightforward option. A sweetener name alone cannot tell you the dose in a serving or predict your personal response.
WHO’s 2023 recommendation on non-sugar sweeteners for weight control excludes sugar alcohols such as xylitol and erythritol. It should not be presented as a verdict on these polyols. Read WHO’s scope and limits.
Selected sources checked . The reading scope is stated beside each source. These are selected findings, not an exhaustive clinical review or a personal diet prescription. Indexed notices were checked where accessible; missing notices do not prove that no correction or later version exists. The research does not by itself change recorded ratings or country permissions. Use the country section for the separate legal question.
Selected research on E967
How to read study types- Preprint, not peer-reviewedPreprint: no increased platelet reactivity in a small polyol crossover study
Not peer-reviewed in this check. A 14-person acute crossover experiment found no increased platelet reactivity with erythritol or xylitol versus water. The result differs from earlier work but does not settle long-term cardiovascular safety.
- Randomized trialRelated whole-diet SWEET trial: weight maintenance and gut symptoms
Related whole-diet trial favoured sweetener-containing products for weight maintenance in one analysis, but not the completer analysis. Dropout was high and gut symptoms were more frequent. Many ingredients varied together; no individual-additive effect was isolated.
- Observational studyBlood xylitol and cardiovascular events, with an acute platelet experiment
Higher fasting blood xylitol was associated with cardiovascular events. Blood concentration is not measured dietary intake. An acute 10-person experiment found increased platelet reactivity, not clinical heart attacks.
- Randomized trialFive-week erythritol and xylitol pilot: vascular and metabolic measures
Five-week pilot in 42 adults with obesity found no significant differences in vascular function, abdominal fat or glucose tolerance. Small, short and partly unblinded; not a trial of heart attacks or strokes.
Earlier source summaries checked ; latest additions checked . See the detailed research section for what was read and the remaining limits. This is a selection of sources, not a complete literature review. Authority assessments apply to the uses and places they cover.
Health notes from our ingredient record
- Can cause digestive upset (gas, bloating, diarrhea) when consumed in large amounts.
- Extremely toxic to dogs — even small amounts can cause a rapid, dangerous drop in blood sugar and liver damage; products containing xylitol should be kept away from pets.
Country rules
Country checks for E967
Permission depends on the market, type of food, amount and conditions. A scientific opinion or an E-number alone does not establish a legal use. These checks are separate from the stored EatMatrix rating.
Compare all eight markets and their sources
| Market | What is checked |
|---|---|
| European Union | Regulation (EC) 1333/2008, Annex II Part B, version , contains the exact code E967: Xylitol. Listing alone does not allow every food use. Part E food categories, limits, specifications and applicable later acts still need a product-specific check. Source read: . |
| Great Britain | The FSA register record for E967 (Xylitol) lists “Authorised” in England, Scotland and Wales. Register updated: 01 April 2025; record checked: . Food-specific conditions and specifications still need a separate legal check. |
| United States | Selected US conditions for Xylitol Official federal text current through ; read . Food uses, limits and exceptionsNamed preparation and use conditions This section names foods for special dietary uses, with no more xylitol than needed for the intended effect. It is a scoped food-use provision, not a conclusion about every product category or a recommended daily amount. EatMatrix’s reading: a legal use condition answers where and how an ingredient may be used. It is not a test of your product, a personal safe intake or a claim that the ingredient benefits your body. Match the named substance, food and amount. Other federal provisions, food standards, state rules and later changes may also apply; this is a selected source review, not a complete product-compliance decision. |
| Northern Ireland | Review pending. Check the applicable EU rules and territory arrangements; the GB register alone does not establish this status. FSA guidance is a starting source, not a verified permission for this entry. |
| Canada | Named food-use records located. Health Canada lists the preparations below for specified foods and purposes. This is conditional permission for those uses, not approval of every product or a personal safety verdict. Only the named records and conditions below were located. Exact composition and specifications still need matching. Source tables captured . List publication dates are shown separately. Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) is a condition of use, not an unlimited amount or a recommended intake. Food and Drug Regulations B.16.003 requires the listed source, purpose, amount and other conditions to match. The official consolidation read was current to 21 September 2026; product specifications and applicable later changes still need checking. Read 1 listed food-use conditionsXylitolHealth Canada: List of Permitted Sweeteners. List published ; item X.1.
EatMatrix reading: match the exact preparation and food first. A manufacturing limit is not an acceptable daily intake (ADI). A label without the amount cannot establish exposure, and an unlisted name here does not establish a ban. |
| Australia | Review pending. Food Standards Code permissions and conditions need an additive-specific check. FSANZ food-additive rules is a starting source, not a verified permission for this entry. |
| New Zealand | Review pending. Food Standards Code permissions and conditions need an additive-specific check. FSANZ food-additive rules is a starting source, not a verified permission for this entry. |
| Japan | Review pending. The relevant list, identity and use standards need an additive-specific check. CAA food-additive lists is a starting source, not a verified permission for this entry. |
Sources & review status
Check what each source covers: an authority’s conclusion, a research finding and a country’s legal permission answer different questions.
What this guide covers
- Selected research
- 4 source summaries, with publication dates and study types. Several publications may describe the same study population.
- Original ingredient record
- No research links in the original record. Sources added separately to this guide are not included in this count.
This guide brings together our ingredient record and the dated sources shown here. Missing information describes a gap in this guide; it does not mean an ingredient is untested, safe or harmful. This is not a complete review of every study, preparation or current country rule. The amount in a product and how it is used still matter.
How to read the ratings, research and country checksAgency labels recorded by EatMatrix
These are imported database classifications, not verified current statements from each authority. Use the dated official sources below for their actual scope and conclusions.
| Authority | Database label |
|---|---|
| FDA | Safe |
| WHO | Safe |
| EFSA | Safe in moderation |
| FSANZ | Safe |
| Japan | Safe |
| UK FSA | Safe in moderation |
Database updated: . What does an E number mean on a food label?
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
What is EatMatrix's recorded rating for E967?
The recorded EatMatrix rating for E967 (Xylitol) is “Safe in moderation”. It is calculated from labels stored in our ingredient database. These labels are not verified current regulator decisions or country permissions. A database update date is not a scientific review date.
Is E967 vegan, halal or gluten-free?
According to our ingredient data for Xylitol — vegan: yes, vegetarian: yes, halal: yes, kosher: yes, gluten-free: yes, dairy-free: yes. Manufacturing sources can vary between products; check the label if it matters to you.
What is E967 and why is it used?
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol found naturally in small amounts in fruits and vegetables, roughly as sweet as sugar but with about 40% fewer calories. It's popular in sugar-free gum, mints, and oral care products because it reduces cavity-causing bacteria in the mouth. It has a low glycemic index, making it a common choice for people managing blood sugar. Eating large amounts can cause digestive discomfort like gas and bloating, and it is highly toxic to dogs even in small quantities.
Does E967 contain allergens?
No known allergens are recorded for Xylitol, with a caution: May cause digestive upset (gas, bloating) at higher intakes..
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This page shows information and classifications recorded in our ingredient database. Current scientific and market-specific verification remains pending as described above. It is general information, not medical advice.