Sorbitol
C6H14O6 and C6H14O6
CFR number
184.1835 (Sorbitol) 180.25 (Mannitol)
E number
E421 (Sorbitol) E420 (Mannitol)
CAS number
69-65-8 (Sorbitol) 50-70-4 (Mannitol)
Synonyms or siblings
D-glucitol, D-sorbitol, Sorbogem, Sorbo (Soribtol) D-Mannitol, Mannite, Manna sugar (Mannitol)
Function
Appeal-Sweetener
Process and Prep-Powder Flow Agent, Thickening Agent
Sorbitol
Mannitol
First discovered and isolated from the mountain ash berry (genus Sorbus), sorbitol is a sugar alcohol (a polyol) found in a variety of fruits, including apples, pears, peaches, and plums. Usually it is fabricated by hydrogenating a dextrose/glucose solution. We use more than 1 million tons of it a year worldwide.
Description
First discovered and isolated from the mountain ash berry (genus Sorbus), sorbitol is a sugar alcohol (a polyol) found in a variety of fruits, including apples, pears, peaches, and plums. Usually it is fabricated by hydrogenating a dextrose/glucose solution. We use more than 1 million tons of it a year worldwide.
Sorbitol is a nutritive sweetener—it can be digested and converted back into glucose for energy. However, our digestive system can’t quite convert it all, leaving the leftover part free to disrupt our system with gas and diarrhea. Because of this, food formulators use it sparingly. Any food that has 50 grams of sorbitol in a serving must have a laxative warning on its label. On the other hand, that lack of full digestion is good news for people with diabetes.
Sorbitol tastes a little more than half as sweet as sucrose, and it acts pretty much like any other sugar except that it doesn’t help with browning. Its main job, whether in food or cosmetics, is to retain moisture, as both a humectant and a thickener (some cigarettes use it as a humectant too). Still, it is often used as a sugar substitute, especially in diet foods (it has a low glycemic index) and cough syrups. Sorbitol is also a common ingredient of mouthwash, toothpaste, and sugar-free chewing gum because it does not cause cavities. Frozen foods use it to protect against crystal formation and general degradation, which is why it is an important ingredient in surimi (imitation crab).
Mannitol functions a lot like sorbitol and is also made by hydrogenating dextrose/glucose. Both are sugar alcohols, share the same molecular formula (though not the molecular structure), and are low-carb foods with low glycemic indexes. Neither digests well, both can give gas or diarrhea, and they are popular sweeteners for products offered to diabetic people.
Mannitol, however, does not create glucose and it is a little less sweet than sorbitol. Instead of occurring naturally in stone fruit, it is found in asparagus, carrots, olives, pineapples, sweet potatoes, and in the seaweed from which it used to be extracted. Consuming more than 20 grams may turn it into a laxative. Above all, mannitol is not a humectant—it does not attract water.
Mannitol is a popular hard-candy coating, non– cavity-forming chewing-gum sweetener, and bulking agent for pharmaceuticals because of its slightly sweet taste and full mouthfeel.