Trehalose is a "natural" sugar that is found extensively, but not abundantly, in nature. Certain mushrooms and other products that seem to resist dehydration and spoiling use it as a sugar replacement.
It is not an artificial sweetener, but actually a sugar replacement that extends the shelf life of processed foods that contain it. Until about 2000 it was very expensive to extract, but processes have been developed that allow it to be obtained inexpensively. The FDA has allowed manufacturers to add it to processed foods.
And as often is the case, our attempts to change the natural way of things has unintended consequences. In this case, researchers have found that the presence of trehalose has caused the emergence of two previously rare types of C. difficile bacteria as epidemic virulent strains of potentially fatal diarrhea. These strains genetically grow better with Trehalose.
Nature 2018 Jan 18
This bacteria is notoriously difficult to cure and spreads rapidly, especially among sick patients. These newer strains are even worse.
The simple thing to do is, once again, to avoid those processed foods! Hopefully this product will be go the way of other poisonous additives soon.
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