History of Xylitol

Xylitol has been known since the late 1800's. German and French researchers were the first to attempt producing Xylitol over 100 years ago, creating a mixture with a syrup like consistency. Xylitol was not manufactured in a crystalline form until WWII.

Until the war, scientists had classified xylitol with other polyols (sweet carbohydrates only) and it remained as a research chemical until war-associated sugar shortages created the need to locate alternate sweeteners. As research into its insulin-independent characteristics grew, so did further study into Xylitol's other biological properties, especially its dental benefits. Before the 1970's, xylitol was used primarily in diabetic diets and infusion therapy of post-operative, burn and shock patients in European and Asian countries.

In 1974, the Finnish Sugar Company Ltd. began the first large-scale production of xylitol in Southern Finland. In 1975, the first sugar-free dental product was launched through the introduction of a xylitol chewing gum (first in Finland, then the United States). Over the next 25 years, global awareness of the significant advantages Xylitol offers to great-tasting confectionery and gum products has steadily increased, especially the unique dental benefits it provides.