Erythritol and a severe allergic reaction in one woman
What it found
A 36-year-old woman had a severe allergic reaction after drinking a diet beverage containing erythritol.
Skin tests pointed to erythritol as the cause.
What they found
Studies in people
Severe allergic reaction
After drinking a peach diet beverage, the woman had trouble breathing and facial swelling. Her blood pressure dropped to 70/40 mmHg. Emergency medicines improved her symptoms.
Second reaction ten days later
Ten days later she drank a different diet beverage and developed hives and itching all over. She was treated again with allergy medicine and steroids.
Skin tests for erythritol
Skin prick tests were negative for peach but positive for both diet drinks. Tests using pure erythritol at 20 mg/mL and 200 mg/mL gave positive results. Three healthy adults tested negative.
Other reported cases
Earlier reports from Europe and Japan described allergic reactions to erythritol. A 61-year-old woman in Spain had a severe reaction after eating ice cream containing it. A woman in Japan developed hives after drinking canned tea with erythritol.
What the authors conclude
- They diagnosed the woman with anaphylaxis caused by erythritol and told her to avoid it.
- They prescribed her a self-injectable epinephrine pen for emergencies.
- The authors advise doctors to consider food additives when investigating repeated allergic reactions.
How it was done
Erythritol is a low-calorie sweetener used in many foods and drinks, but few allergic reactions to it have been reported. The authors wanted to describe what they say is the first case of this kind in Korea.
The authors followed one 36-year-old woman who went to the emergency room twice after drinking diet beverages. They compared the drink ingredients and did skin prick tests on her and three healthy adults using erythritol solutions.
What it can’t tell you
- This report describes only one person, so it cannot show how often erythritol causes allergic reactions.
- The doctors did not do a feeding test to confirm the diagnosis because her first reaction was too severe.
- A single case cannot prove that erythritol will cause this reaction in other people.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by Pusan National University Hospital (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.
- Authors work at
- Pusan National University Hospital, Korea; Pusan National University College of Medicine, Korea
The paper
- Title
- The First Case of Erythritol-Induced Anaphylaxis in Korea
- Type
- Case report
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Kim S, Yoo W, Park HK, Jo EJ (2022). The First Case of Erythritol-Induced Anaphylaxis in Korea. Journal of Korean medical science. doi:10.3346/jkms.2022.37.e83Free full textPubMed 35289142DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error