Isomalt, also known as Palatinit, is a disaccharide sugar alcohol (chemical formula: C12H24O11) composed of glucose and mannitol (1-O-α-D-glucopyranosyl-D-mannitol) and glucose and sorbitol (6-O-α-D-glucopyranosyl-D-sorbitol). It is a white, crystalline, odorless powder with a clean, sweet taste approximately 45-65% as sweet as sucrose. Its primary application is as a bulk sweetener in the food industry, especially in sugar-free and reduced-calorie products such as candies, chocolates, baked goods, and chewing gum. Isomalt is non-cariogenic (tooth-friendly), has a very low glycemic and insulinemic index, and provides only about half the calories of sugar. It exhibits high stability, low hygroscopicity, and does not participate in Maillard browning reactions. These properties also make it valuable in pharmaceuticals as an excipient for tablet coatings and in cosmetics as a humectant and texturizer. Isomalt is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by regulatory bodies like the FDA and EFSA. It is produced commercially from sucrose via enzymatic transformation followed by hydrogenation. Due to its low digestibility, excessive consumption may cause a laxative effect in some individuals, similar to other polyols.