SORBITOL
Product No. P19197
A French chemist first discovered sorbitol in the berries of the mountain ash in 1872. It occurs naturally in a wide variety of fruits and berries. Today it is commercially produced by the hydrogenation of glucose and is available in both liquid and crystalline form. It has been used for almost half a century as a bulk sweetener in many foods.
Sorbitol is about 60 percent as sweet as sucrose with one-third fewer calories. It has a smooth feel in the mouth with a sweet, cool and pleasant taste. It is used in processed foods, as well as products such as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
Sorbitol is used as a humectant in many types of products for protection against loss of moisture content, and to help retain their freshness during storage. Its moisture-stabilising and textural properties are used in the production of confectionery, baked goods and chocolate, where products tend to become dry or harden.
Sorbitol is very stable and chemically unreactive - it can withstand high temperatures and does not turn brown. This is an advantage, for example, in the production of biscuits etc, where a fresh colour with no appearance of browning is desired. Sorbitol also combines well with other food ingredients such as sugars, gelling agents, proteins and vegetable fats. It functions well in many food products such as chewing gums, sweets, frozen desserts, biscuits, cakes, icings and fillings, as well as oral care products, including toothpaste and mouthwash.
Sorbitol is useful in the following ways;
It does not promote tooth decay. Polyols, including sorbitol, are resistant to metabolism by oral bacteria, which break down sugars and starches to release acids that may lead to cavities or erode tooth enamel. They are, therefore, non-cariogenic.
Control of blood glucose, lipids and weight are the three major goals of diabetes management today. Sorbitol is slowly absorbed - therefore, when used, the rise in blood glucose and the insulin response associated with the ingestion of glucose is significantly reduced. Products sweetened with sorbitol in place of sugar may be useful in providing a wider variety of reduced calorie and sugar free choices to people with diabetes.
As absorption of sorbitol by the human body is slow, it allows part of the ingested sorbitol to reach the large intestine where metabolism yields fewer calories, and it is therefore consistent with the objective of weight control. Unlike sugar, which contributes four calories per gram, the caloric contribution of sorbitol is about 2.6 calories per gram. Currently, for a product to qualify as “reduced calorie” in the United States, it must have at least a 25 percent reduction in calories; to qualify as “light” it must have a one-third reduction. Sorbitol is, therefore, useful in formulating “reduced calorie” and “light” products.
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