Purchasing xylitol from GMO-free sources/not made from corn in China
Great variability in product descriptions by vendors and brands
While personally I simply trust that I get 100% xylitol if it says it is and live with whatever happens (remembering that xylitol as a chemically pure substance will not retain any residues of whatever it was made of such as GMO corn and that even if adulterated with cheaper sugars it will still work, see Xylitol FAQ), others may have the time and inclination to set out to find the supposedly best xylitol possible.
One of them is site visitor CK who went on a quest to find the purest xylitol available. She was helpful enough to allow her adventures to be shared with the visitors of Healing Teeth Naturally. Here is what she gave me special permission to publish.
"www.xylitol-brand-comparison.com contains a Xylitol comparison chart. If one searches further on the brand names, one realises that descriptions vary in specifying exactly what one buys.
A few interesting examples are: e.g Euphoria – 'harvested from natural plant sources', Perfect Sweet – 'made from 100% natural Xylitol', Zylosweet - 'our Xylitol is made from the birch tree', Xyli Pure – 'is xylitol, a naturally occurring polyol, a 5-carbon sugar alcohol found in many fruits and vegetables'.
PolySweet™ - 'is presently made from natural xylan, and the xylose processed from this xylan makes some of the purest xylitol made in the world'. Unique Sweet xylitol - is a naturally occurring sweetener found in many fruits like strawberries, pears, and plums', Xylitol Now - "Xylitol ... was originally extracted from birch trees in Finland.
Now Xylitol is derived from Non-GMO corn. ... Commercially it is manufactured from xylan hemicellulose sources such as Birch trees in Finland, cane bagasse, and corn cobs'.
So what I found out was that actually there are quite a few Xylitol brands (most of them) that do not state/specify if the sugar is from birch or other hardwood, or even a mixture of sugars. Many brands apparently are made of corn in China, not birch from Finland.
While it is good to simply trust what the packet says [although there does seem to be some deception - false labelling - going on], many do not provide that further information, other than that it is Xylitol sugar made from hardwood."
The following is CK's alphabetical list of companies / brands she found that are not made from corn in China/GMO-free (list updated by Healing Teeth Naturally [March 2016] but not necessarily complete). As mentioned elsewhere (see links below under "Related questions", let no-one be deterred to go for the cheapest xylitol (incl. GMO) if they wish to save money:
Alpha Sweet
"The Really Healthy Company's AlphaSweet Xylitol is 100% pure-grade white granulated (like sugar) product made from sustainably harvested birch trees (not corn) and is GMO-free. Also, for every tree used in the manufacture of this xylitol, two more are planted in its place, and is from Finland."
Durelife xylitol
manufactured and packaged in the USA from 100% pure USA birch
Health Garden Xylitol
100% birch xylitol made in USA
Morning Pep Xylitol
100% pure birch sweetener made in USA
Real Birch xylitol
100% USA-made from sustainably harvested birch trees
Smart Sweet
from organic hardwood, not corn – GMO free, USA
USA Birch Xylitol
made from 100% North American birch
Xylobrit™
"predominantly from Finnish Beech and Birch hardwood"
Xyla™
derived from 100% North American hardwood
Zveet Birch
Xylitol made in USA
Related questions in Healing Teeth Naturally's Xylitol FAQ
See Are all xylitols created equal or are there differences in quality?, The xylitol I bought looks and tastes SO much like sugar, how can I be sure it is pure? and Which xylitol grain size (large crystals or powdered sugar) is the best choice?.
Healing Teeth Naturally: Tooth and Gum Healing with Xylitol
This site devotes extensive space to this important subject, condensing essential self-help information and making it available in six languages. See Xylitol: a "miracle" sugar substitute that prevents & helps heal cavities, Effective dental self-treatment with Xylitol, Xylitol sugar rinses and brushing testimonials as well as Healing Teeth Naturally's comprehensive Xylitol FAQ.
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