Polydextrose
A synthetic soluble fibre made from glucose, used as a bulking agent and sugar replacer in low-calorie and reduced-sugar foods.
What is it?
Polydextrose is a synthetic, randomly bonded polymer of glucose, with small amounts of sorbitol and citric acid incorporated during manufacture. It produces around 1 kcal per gram (versus 4 kcal for sugar) and behaves as a soluble dietary fibre in the gut, fermenting slowly in the large intestine.
What does it do?
Polydextrose adds bulk and body to food without significantly raising calorie content or blood sugar. It resists digestion in the small intestine, passes to the colon where it is partially fermented by gut bacteria, and contributes to fibre intake. It also helps retain moisture in baked goods and prevents sugar crystallisation.
Where you will see it
Found in low-calorie and reduced-sugar products including diet soft drinks, sugar-free confectionery and chewing gum, low-fat baked goods such as muffins and biscuits, protein bars and meal replacement shakes, table-top sweetener blends, and reduced-alcohol beers. On UK ingredient lists it appears as 'polydextrose' or 'E1200'.
What the science says
Digestive tolerance and laxative effect at high doses
Because polydextrose is not digested in the small intestine, large amounts reaching the colon can cause bloating, flatulence, and loose stools. EFSA identified a mean laxative threshold of around 90g per day, or 50g as a single dose. At typical use levels in food products, intake rarely approaches these amounts. People who consume multiple polydextrose-containing products in the same day may notice digestive discomfort.
EFSA identified a mean laxative threshold of 90g per day or 50g as a single dose for polydextrose; the Panel noted consumers should account for combined intake from all sources including other polyols.
Prebiotic and fibre effects
Polydextrose ferments slowly in the large intestine and has been studied as a prebiotic, meaning it may selectively feed beneficial gut bacteria such as Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus. Some human trials found modest positive shifts in stool consistency and frequency. The effect is dose-dependent and varies between individuals.
Human intervention studies showed polydextrose increased populations of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus in the colon and improved stool frequency at doses of 8-12g per day.
Blood glucose and calorie contribution
Polydextrose has a very low glycaemic index and contributes roughly 1 kcal per gram, compared with 4 kcal per gram for sugars and starches. It is not metabolised in the same way as glucose, so it does not produce the same rise in blood sugar or insulin. Regulatory bodies in the EU and UK permit it to be counted as a dietary fibre on nutrition labelling.
Polydextrose produces a negligible glycaemic response and is classified as a dietary fibre for labelling purposes in the EU under Regulation (EC) 1169/2011.
Long-term toxicology
In animal feeding studies, polydextrose produced no adverse effects even at very high doses. EFSA reviewed chronic toxicity data including studies at up to 15,000mg per kilogram body weight per day in mice, and found no evidence of carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity, or organ damage attributable to polydextrose.
No adverse effects were observed in chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity studies in rats and mice at doses up to 15,000 mg/kg body weight per day; no genotoxic or reproductive concerns identified.
Where it stands with the regulators
Who should be careful
People with irritable bowel syndrome or who are sensitive to fermentable fibres (the FODMAP group) may notice bloating or loose stools, especially if consuming multiple products containing polydextrose or other polyols in the same day. Check ingredient lists for 'polydextrose' or 'E1200' and add up intake across all products consumed.
The honest read
Polydextrose is one of the more thoroughly evaluated bulking agents in the food supply. Its 2021 EFSA re-evaluation drew on decades of animal and human data and found nothing requiring a numerical intake limit. The main practical issue is digestive discomfort at high doses, a predictable consequence of any fermentable fibre that escapes small-intestine digestion. The science on this is straightforward and not contested. Research into its prebiotic effects is ongoing, with some human trials showing modest benefits to gut bacteria composition at typical dietary doses, though this is an area of active study rather than settled fact.
Related additives
Common questions
Is E1200 banned in the UK?
No. Polydextrose (E1200) is approved for use in the UK under the assimilated EU Regulation 1333/2008. It appears on the UK FSA's approved additives list.
Can polydextrose cause digestive problems?
At high intakes it can. EFSA identified a mean laxative threshold of around 90g per day, or 50g as a single dose. Typical amounts in a single product are well below this, but people consuming several polydextrose-containing items in one day may notice bloating, gas, or loose stools, particularly if they also consume other polyols such as sorbitol or maltitol.
What foods contain E1200?
Polydextrose appears most commonly in diet soft drinks, sugar-free sweets and chewing gum, low-fat baked goods, protein bars, meal replacement products, and reduced-alcohol beers. It is also used in table-top sweetener powders and tablets. Look for 'polydextrose' or 'E1200' in the ingredients list.
Is E1200 vegan?
Yes. Polydextrose is synthesised from glucose (derived from corn starch), sorbitol, and citric acid. No animal-derived ingredients are used in its production.
Sources
- EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF): Re-evaluation of polydextrose (E 1200) as a food additive, EFSA Journal 2021;19(1):6363
- UK Food Standards Agency: Approved additives and E numbers
- PubMed Central: Re-evaluation of polydextrose (E 1200) as a food additive (full text)
- Hooda S et al.: The gut microbiota of humans is modulated by polydextrose consumption, Journal of Nutrition, 2012
- European Commission: Regulation (EC) No 1169/2011 on food information to consumers (fibre labelling definition)
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