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  • Page | Last updated: 24 Jul 2025

Main dietary carbohydrates

Health Promotion Knowledge Gateway

Main dietary carbohydrates

Based on: FAO/WHO 1998

Class

Degree of polymerisationc

Sub-group

Examples

Sugars

1

Monosaccharides

Glucose, Fructose, Galactose

2

Disaccharides

Sucrose, Lactose, Maltose
Polyolsd

1

  

Erythritol, Xylitol, Mannitol, Sorbitol

2

  

Lactitol, Isomalt, Maltitol
Oligosaccharides

3-9

Malto-oligosaccharides

Maltodextrins

Non-digestible oligosaccharides

Raffinose, stachyose, fructo oligosaccharides, verbascose
Polysaccharides

>9

Starches

Amylose, amylopectin, modified starches

Non-starch polysaccharides

Cellulose, hemicellulose, pectins, hydrocolloids (gums)

c. The number of single units (monomers) that make up the substance

d. Although the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation report (1998) includes polyols as sugars, this is due to a chemical classification; in this guide polyols are addressed separately from sugars, due to their different nutritional and functional properties following EFSA, the SACN report (2015) and the approach of Reg. (EC) 1333/2008 and Reg. (EU) 1169/2011