Sweeteners

Sorbitol

Appearance: White hygroscopic powder, crystalline powder, flake or particle
Odour: Odourless
Sweetness: About half that of sucrose
Calorific value: Similar to sucrose

Sorbitol is a white hygroscopic powder, crystalline powder, flake or particle, odourless, with a cool sweet taste at about half the sweetness of sucrose and a calorific value similar to sucrose. The food industry generally works with the 69-71% solution, a colourless transparent viscous liquid that is neutral to litmus and mixes with water, glycerol and propylene glycol. That miscibility is what makes it a humectant as much as a sweetener.

Why buyers specify this grade

Cool sweet taste at roughly half the sweetness of sucrose, useful where sucrose is too sweet
Miscible with water, glycerol and propylene glycol, so it drops into existing humectant systems
Neutral to litmus, so it does not shift formulation pH
Available as powder, crystalline powder, flake or particle as well as the 69-71% solution
One material acting as sweetener, wetting agent, chelating agent and stabiliser

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Specification

Forms available	Powder, crystalline powder, flake, particle, 69-71% solution
Sweetness	About 50% of sucrose
Reaction to litmus	Neutral
Miscibility	Water, glycerol, propylene glycol
Hygroscopicity	Hygroscopic, keep sealed

Technical data

Appearance: White hygroscopic powder, crystalline powder, flake or particle
Odour: Odourless
Sweetness: About half that of sucrose
Calorific value: Similar to sucrose
Common solution strength: 69-71% for food industry use
Solution appearance: Colourless transparent viscous liquid

Quality control

Supplied against the agreed solid or solution specification with TDS and MSDS at shipment
Sample COA available on request

Where it is used

Raw material for producing vitamin C by fermentation and chemical synthesis
Nutritional sweetener, wetting agent, chelating agent and stabiliser
Synthesis of resins and plastics, and gas chromatography stationary liquid
Thickener, hardener and insecticide formulation
Moisture regulator for toothpaste, cosmetics and tobacco
Diuretic and dehydrating agent for cerebral edema, raised intracranial pressure and raised intraocular pressure in glaucoma, and for edema and oliguria with normal cardiac and renal function
Water retaining agent for aquatic products, reducing water activity of dried fish fillets and improving Ca ATPase activity

Who buys it

Vitamin C producers
Confectionery, bakery and oral care manufacturers
Cosmetic and tobacco moisture-control formulators
Aquatic product processors
Resin, plastics and specialty chemical plants

Problems it solves

Products drying out on the shelf without a humectant that is also a sweetener
Sucrose being too sweet or too reactive for the formulation
Water activity in dried fish fillets driving spoilage and texture loss
Needing a sweetener that is neutral to litmus and will not move the pH of a sensitive system

Packing and options

Solid forms or 69-71% solution selected against the dosing system
Packing format confirmed at quotation

How it compares

Against sucrose, sorbitol gives about half the sweetness at a similar calorific value with far better moisture retention and a cool mouthfeel. Choose the 69-71% solution where liquid dosing exists and the solid forms where the process is dry-blended.

Handling and storage

Keep solid forms sealed, the material is hygroscopic
For aquatic water retention, the published ratio is sucrose 2.1%, sorbitol 3.15% and composite phosphate 1.00%
Use the 69-71% solution where the food process already meters liquid humectants

FAQ

Sorbitol questions buyers ask

How sweet is sorbitol compared with sugar

About half the sweetness of sucrose, with a calorific value similar to sucrose and a cool sweet taste.

Which form should we buy

The food industry commonly uses the 69-71% solution, a colourless transparent viscous liquid. Powder, crystalline powder, flake and particle forms are also available.

Can it be mixed with glycerol or propylene glycol

Yes, sorbitol solution can be mixed with water, glycerol and propylene glycol, and it is neutral to litmus.

Is it used outside food

Yes, as a vitamin C raw material, a moisture regulator for toothpaste, cosmetics and tobacco, in resin and plastic synthesis, and as a thickener and hardener.

What ratio is used for water retention in aquatic products

The published combination is sucrose 2.1%, sorbitol 3.15% and composite phosphate 1.00%, which reduces the water activity of dried fish fillets and improves Ca ATPase activity.

How should the solid form be stored

Sealed and dry. Sorbitol is hygroscopic and will pick up moisture from the air.

Download TDS, MSDS and sample COA