Food effects labeling considerations

Standard Food-Effect Assessments— Regulatory and Product-Labeling Considerations... 

Because mannitol and sorbitol are both moderately sweet and relatively inexpensive, they have been considered as special dietary constituents 63). The content of sorbitol in diabetic foods should be counted as available carbohydrate, and the label of foods containing sorbitol should indicate the amount present. Probably owing to the slow intestinal absorption of sorbitol, doses greater than 50 g. are laxative in humans, but smaller doses are well tolerated. Care needs to be exercised in determining more fully the possible harmful effect of ingesting considerable amounts of sugar alcohols, before their general use as food additives is accepted. 

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