ATLANTA (June 6, 2013) — A new study in PLoS ONE, “Erythritol, a non-nutritive sugar alcohol sweetener and the main component of Truvia is a palatable ingested insecticide,” by Baudier et al. published on June 4 suggests that erythritol has potential as an insecticide that is safe for humans. In their work, the authors state, “Consumption of erythritol is safe to humans, even when consumed at high levels.”
As the authors note, erythritol is safe for human consumption; it is considered Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and has been approved as a food additive around the globe. Erythritol has been part of the human diet for thousands of years due to its natural presence in fruits and other foods. Because of this long history of safe use, erythritol is a calorie-free non-nutritive sweetener often used in sugar-free foods and beverages.
Humans and insects such as fruit flies tolerate food and food ingredients differently. The mechanism of how erythritol acts in fruit flies is unknown, but, due to significant differences in physiology, it is thought not to be relevant to humans.
For additional information about erythritol, visit polyol.org.
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