Xylitol is present in small quantities in all kinds of fruits, like berries and vegetables.But it is not economical to produce xylitol on commercial scale from these sources.

Xylitol has the same sweetening effect as sucrose and can be substituted for sugar.Due to its cooling effect on the tongue and its anti-cavity property, it is widely used in tooth paste.It is also regarded as the best of all nutritive sugar substitutes with respect to carries prevention.It can be metabolized independently of insulin in human body, producing the same amount of energy ( 4 kcal/gm) and hence it is widely used in all diabetic foods.

Xylitol is also used as a non-sugar sweetener in children chewing vitamins, gums, tablets, cough syrups, mouth washes, tooth pastes etc.Xylitol is used in hard candies, mints, sugarless chocolates, gelatins, puddings, jams, baked foods and ice-creams.At present, the biggest use of xylitol is in the manufacture of chewing gums.