What type of sweetener is used as a filler in pharmaceutical products such as pills because its gritty, hard crystals flow freely and are easily compacted for tablet pressing?

Lactose is the sweetener that is used as a filler in tablets that makes compaction possible during tablet pressing.

Explanation:

Lactose is a naturally occurring large sugar molecule found in milk of mammals. It is composed of two simple sugars: Glucose and Galactose.

Anhydrous Lactose is produced by drying lactose solution on the surface of a heated drum. As a result small crystals of anhydrous b-lactose are formed with some anhydrous a-lactose. This anhydrous product has excellent compactability and high solubility due to its high b-lactose content. This highly compactable lactose powder is used in tablets for direct compression,