Discovered in the 1960s, isomalt is made from sucrose and looks much like table sugar. It is white, crystalline and odourless. Isomalt is a mixture of two disaccharide alcohols—gluco mannitol and gluco sorbitol. Products made with isomalt have the same texture and appearance as those made with sugar.

Because the same amount of isomalt is used in products as would be used if they were sweetened with sugar, isomalt containing products have the same appearance and texture as those made with sugar.

Found in boiled sweets, toffee, lollipops, fudge, wafers, cough drops, throat lozenges, and a wide variety of other products.