Allulose, also called D-allulose or D-psicose, is a monosaccharide structurally similar to fructose that tastes sweet while providing far less usable energy. In the United States, FDA allows manufacturers to use a general factor of 0.4 calories per gram when calculating calories from allulose, compared with 4 kcal/g for traditional sugars.
Its legal status is not the same everywhere. As of September 22, 2026, allulose can be used in specified U.S. food applications supported by GRAS conclusions, while it does not appear on the European Union’s current authorized novel-food list.
What kind of sugar is allulose?
Chemically, allulose is the C-3 epimer of fructose. It contains the same kinds of atoms and a very similar structure, but the spatial arrangement around one carbon differs.
That small structural change is enough to alter how human enzymes handle it. Tiny amounts occur naturally in selected foods, while commercial allulose can be manufactured using enzymatic conversion from other sugars.
Why can it taste sweet without providing 4 kcal/g?
A review of human metabolism explains that allulose uses absorption pathways similar to fructose, but human enzymes do not metabolize it in the same way. Much of the absorbed amount is ultimately excreted, particularly in urine.
Its net energy yield is therefore very low. FDA’s 0.4 kcal/g factor is a labeling value rather than a claim that the molecule provides literally zero chemical energy.
Is it as sweet as table sugar?
Scientific literature commonly places allulose below sucrose in sweetness, roughly around two-thirds to three-quarters of table sugar depending on the food matrix and testing conditions.
A gram-for-gram substitution can therefore taste less sweet. Commercial formulas may combine allulose with other sweeteners to reach the intended sweetness profile.
What does FDA say in the United States?
FDA’s current sweetener page says it has evaluated multiple GRAS notices for D-allulose/D-psicose and has no questions about GRAS conclusions under specified intended conditions of use.
This is not the same as FDA individually “approving” every finished allulose product. Under the GRAS framework, companies remain responsible for ensuring that ingredients and uses comply with safety and legal requirements.
How does allulose appear on Nutrition Facts?
FDA’s final guidance uses enforcement discretion so allulose may be excluded from the values declared as Total Sugars and Added Sugars, although it remains included in Total Carbohydrate.
Manufacturers may use 0.4 kcal/g when calculating Calories. This explains why a product can contain several grams of allulose without those grams appearing as several grams of added sugar.
What is the status in the European Union?
Novel foods can be placed on the EU market only after Commission authorization and inclusion in the Union list. The current list checked on September 22, 2026 contains no authorized entry for D-allulose.
Several companies have submitted novel-food applications over the years. One application evaluated by EFSA ended in a 2025 opinion stating that safety could not be established from the available data because requested additional information was not supplied.
That does not mean EFSA concluded that allulose is “dangerous”
“Safety cannot be established” is different from “evidence shows it is unsafe.” In that specific assessment, the panel considered the data insufficient to complete a safety conclusion.
There are multiple applications from different companies, so the regulatory position can change. Anyone making commercial decisions should check the current Commission Union list rather than relying on an old article.
Large amounts can cause gastrointestinal symptoms
Human tolerance studies report diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain, or nausea at higher intakes in some participants. Response varies with dose and individual tolerance.
A dose used in a trial should not be treated as a personal intake recommendation, and “low calorie” does not mean unlimited amounts are comfortable.
Regulatory status needs a date attached
This is a moving topic. A future European authorization or U.S. rulemaking could change permitted uses, labeling, or conditions.
The practical rule: allulose is a low-energy rare sugar, not a sugar alcohol or high-intensity sweetener. It has GRAS-supported uses and a 0.4 kcal/g U.S. labeling factor, while it is not an authorized EU novel food as of September 22, 2026.
Sources
- FDA — Aspartame and Other Sweeteners in Food — Current FDA overview stating that FDA has evaluated GRAS notices for D-allulose/D-psicose and has no questions about GRAS conclusions under specified intended conditions of use.
- FDA — Declaration of Allulose and Calories from Allulose — Final FDA guidance allowing enforcement discretion to exclude allulose from Total Sugars and Added Sugars and use 0.4 kcal/g when calculating Calories.
- FDA — Sugars Metabolized Differently Than Traditional Sugars — Current FDA page confirming allulose remains in Total Carbohydrate but may be excluded from Total Sugars and Added Sugars and may use 0.4 kcal/g.
- European Commission — Union list of novel foods — Current EU list of authorised novel foods; as of 22 September 2026 D-allulose does not appear in the authorised Union list.
- EFSA — Safety of D-allulose as a novel food — 2025 EFSA opinion on one D-allulose novel-food application concluded that safety could not be established because requested additional data were not supplied.
- PubMed — Allulose in human diet: the knowns and the unknowns — Review describing allulose as a fructose epimer with very low energetic yield because absorbed allulose is minimally metabolised and largely excreted.