Sorbitol: Its All About Sugar, Honey !

What is it?

Sorbitol, a polyol (sugar alcohol), is a bulk sweetener found in numerous food products. Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol that the body uses slowly. It is a sweetener used in diet foods. It is called a nutritive sweetener because it has four calories in every gram, just like table sugar and starch. It is a bulk sweetner with good taste and reduced calories. It does not promote tooth decay.

In addition to providing sweetness, it is an excellent humectant and texturizing agent. Sorbitol is about 60 percent as sweet as sucrose with one-third fewer calories. It has a smooth mouthfeel with a sweet, cool and pleasant taste. It is non-cariogenic and may be useful to people with diabetes. Sorbitol has been safely used in processed foods for almost half a century. It is also used in other products, such as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

Sorbitol is suitable for a variety of products reduced in calories, sugar or fat and has been safely used for almost half a century. Sorbitol is also produced by the body. Too much sorbitol in cells can cause damage. Diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy may be related to too much sorbitol in the cells of the eyes and nerves.

The Beginning

Sorbitol was first discovered by a French chemist in the berries of the mountain ash in 1872. It occurs naturally in a wide variety of fruits and berries. Nowadays it is commercially produced by the hydrogenation of glucose and is available in both liquid and crystalline form.

The US Food and Drug Administration has affirmed Sorbitol as GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) and is approved for use by the European Union and numerous countries around the world.

In Diets Of Diabetic People

Diabetes management consists of three major goals:

• Control of blood glucose,
• lipids and
• weight

When sorbitol is used, the rise in blood glucose and the insulin response associated with the ingestion of glucose is significantly reduced. The reduced caloric value of sorbitol is consistent with the objective of weight control. 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.

Recognizing that diabetes is complex and requirements for its management may vary between individuals. Foods sweetened with sorbitol may contain other ingredients contributing calories and other nutrients, which must be considered in meal planning. The usefulness of sorbitol should be discussed between individuals and their health care providers.

Absorption of sorbitol by the human body is slow, allowing part of the ingested sorbitol to reach the large intestine where metabolism yields fewer calories. Therefore, unlike sugar, which contributes four calories per gram, the caloric contribution of sorbitol is about 2.6 calories per gram. The lower caloric value of sorbitol and other polyols is recognized in other countries as well.

Is it safe?

A large number of studies reported in the scientific literature support sorbitol’s safety. The safety data were carefully evaluated by qualified scientists of the Select Committee on GRAS Substances selected by the Life Sciences Office of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) in developing the current U.S. food and drug regulation which affirms sorbitol as GRAS. There was no evidence demonstrating a hazard where sorbitol was used at current levels or at levels that might be expected in the future in the opinion of the Select Committee.

Different institutes have reviewed the safety data and concluded that sorbitol is safe.

Special Benefits:

Sorbitol is used for protection against loss of moisture content as a humectant in many types of products. The moisture-stabilizing and textural properties of sorbitol are used in the production of confectionery, baked goods and chocolate where products tend to become dry or harden. These products are protected from drying and their initial freshness is maintained during storage by its moisture-stabilizing action.

Sorbitol is very stable and chemically unreactive. It can withstand high temperatures and does not participate in Maillard (browning) reactions, which is an advantage. Sorbitol also combines well with other food ingredients such as sugars, gelling agents, proteins and vegetable fats. It also functions well in many food products such as chewing gums, candies, frozen desserts, cookies, cakes, icings and fillings as well as oral care products, including toothpaste and mouthwash.

It also:

• Provides bulk and sweetness with a clean, cool pleasant taste
• Provides one-third fewer calories than sugar--about 2.6 calories per gram
• Is an excellent humectant, texturizing and anti-crystallizing agent
• Can be used in a wide variety of products, including sugar-free candies, chewing gums, frozen desserts and baked goods
• Does not contribute to the formation of dental caries
• May be useful as an alternative to sugar for people with diabetes on the advice of their health care providers

The FDA has approved the use of a "does not promote tooth decay" health claim in labeling for sugar-free foods that contain sorbitol or other polyols.

Controlling Calories: Combination Sweeteners

The development and use of a variety of safe low-calorie sweeteners, bulking agents, fat replacers and other low-calorie ingredients help meet the consumers demand of good tasting products with less calories and fat. The availability of several low-calorie ingredients allows food manufacturers to choose the most appropriate ingredient, or combination of ingredients, for a given product. It works well with other ingredients and may be synergistic with other sweeteners. This means the combination of the sweeteners is sweeter than the sum of the individual sweeteners and results in synergistic blends, which provide taste, economic and stability advantages.

What else?

The use of sorbital in a wide variety of products is facilitated by its good taste, reduced caloric value, versatility and other advantages. Sorbitol’s use should be increased with the increasing demand for products reduced in calories or fat.