PureBulk

Click to Enlarge Unit Weight: 1500 grams Unit Volume: 2425 cc Click to Enlarge Certificate of Analysis Click to Enlarge Volumetric Equivalents

What is Sorbitol?

Sorbitol, a polyol (sugar alcohol), is a bulk sweetener about 60% as sweet as sucrose with one-third fewer calorie. Sorbitol is also a naturally occurring sugar in some stone fruits and berries from trees of the genus Sorbus first discovered by a French chemist in the berries of the mountain ash in 1872. It is found naturally available in a wide array of fruits and berries. Today it is commercially made through the hydrogenation (adding of hydrogen) of glucose and is available in both liquid and crystalline form. It is found in numerous food products and is frequently used as a "sugar-free" sweetener in candies and mints, and sometimes used in diet foods such as soft drinks, ice cream and chewing gum.

Aside from providing sweetness, it is an outstanding humectant and texturizing agent. It has a smooth feel to the mouth and leaves a sweet, cool and pleasant taste. Due to the fact that Sorbitol has a negative heat of solution of -111J/g (meaning that it absorbs heat and becomes cold as it dissolves in water) it is often used as a sweetener in breath freshening candies providing a pleasingly cool sensation when dissolved in the mouth. It is non-cariogenic (does not cause tooth decay) and may be useful to people with diabetes. Since Sorbitol is absorbed slowly by the body, it does not significantly raise insulin levels the same way common sugars such as sucrose, glucose or fructose do. Sorbitol has been safely used in processed foods as well as in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics for almost half a century, and it has been affirmed as GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is approved for use by the European Union and numerous countries around the world, including Australia, Canada and Japan.

Sorbitol absorption in the 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 U.S. Food and Drug Administration has stated it does not object to the use of this value. 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, beneficial in formulating “reduced calorie” and “light” products. The lower caloric value of sorbitol and other polyols is recognized in other countries as well. For example, the European Union has provided a Nutritional Labeling Directive stating that all polyols, including sorbitol, have a caloric value of 2.4 calories per gram.

What is Sorbitol used for and who uses it?

Sorbitol is largely used as a humectant in many types of products to keep moisture content. 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. Its moisture-stabilizing action protects these products from drying and maintains their initial freshness during storage.

Sorbitol is very stable and chemically unreactive. It can withstand high temperatures and does not participate in Maillard (browning) reactions. This is an advantage, for example, in the production of cookies where a fresh color 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, candies, frozen desserts, cookies, cakes, icings and fillings as well as oral care products, including toothpaste and mouthwash.

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. The usefulness of polyols, including sorbitol, as alternatives to sugars and as part of a comprehensive program including proper dental hygiene has been recognized by the American Dental Association. 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.

Control of blood glucose, lipids and weight are the three major goals of diabetes management today. Since Sorbitol is slowly absorbed, 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 (2.6 calories per gram versus 4.0 for sugar) 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. Sorbitol can be very beneficial for just about everyone, from people on low-carb diets, people on calorie-restricted diets, people on restricted blood sugar diets, and people concerned about dental caries (cavities).

How pure is your Sorbitol?

This food grade Sorbitol Crystalline sugar is manufactured in compliance with the FCC-IV (USA Food Chemicals Codex IV) standard and is assayed by the manufacturer at 99.0% product. You will receive a double sealed labeled bulk polyethylene bag containing this pure bulk powder product. It contains no fillers, taste additives, or anti-caking agents. The remaining 1% by weight are inactive byproducts of the extraction.

Americans as well as people from other parts of the globe continue to demand good tasting products with less calories and fat. The development and use of a variety of safe low-calorie sweeteners, bulking agents, fat replacers and other low-calorie ingredients help meet this consumer demand. The availability of several low-calorie ingredients allows food manufacturers to choose the most appropriate ingredient, or combination of ingredients, for a given product. Sorbitol 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. Sorbitol’s good taste, reduced caloric value, versatility and other advantages facilitate its use in a wide variety of products. With the increasing demand for products reduced in calories or fat, sorbitol’s use should increase as well.

What are some of the common effects and facts about Sorbitol?

Sorbitol provides bulk and sweetness with a clean, cool pleasant taste. It also has one-third fewer calories than sugar--about 2.6 calories per gram. Calories are the units of measure that gauge how much energy is available from the foods we eat. The human body does not transform Sorbitol to energy or fat, so it contributes no calories. Because Sorbitol is an excellent humectant, texturizing and anti-crystallizing agent, it can be used in a wide variety of products, including sugar-free candies, chewing gums, frozen desserts and baked goods. Even with its sweetness, Sorbitol does not contribute to the formation of dental caries, and may also be useful as an alternative to sugar for people with diabetes on the advice of their health care providers.

What is the daily suggested dose of Sorbitol?

The Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) has reviewed the safety data and concluded that sorbitol is safe. JECFA has established an acceptable daily intake (ADI) for sorbitol of “not specified,” meaning no limits are placed on its use. An ADI “not specified” is the safest category in which JECFA can place a food ingredient. JECFA’s decisions are often adopted by many small countries which do not have their own agencies to review food additive safety. For the bulk density of this Purebulk Sorbitol powder, one fourth level teaspoon will supply approximately 936 milligrams, or just about 1 gram. You can see the full bulk density/volumetric conversion chart for Sorbitol here. The Scientific Committee for Food of the European Union (EU) published a comprehensive assessment of sweeteners in 1985, concluding that sorbitol is acceptable for use, also without setting a limit on its use.

As always, if you have concerns or questions, consult a physician or a health care professional before taking any supplements. Before taking any kind of medicine, check with your doctor to ensure that the supplement you want to take is right for you. You may be allergic or you may have a sensitive stomach which may raise the need for special instruction as far as dosage goes.

Safety, Precautions, and Potential Side Effects of Sorbitol

Sorbitol’s safety is supported by numerous studies reported in the scientific literature. In developing the current U.S. food and drug regulation which affirms sorbitol as GRAS, 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 the opinion of the Select Committee, there was no evidence demonstrating a hazard where sorbitol was used at current levels or at levels that might be expected in the future. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s regulation for sorbitol requires the following label statement for foods whose reasonably foreseeable consumption may result in the daily ingestion of 50 grams of sorbitol: “Excess consumption may have a laxative effect.” In large doses greater than 10 grams per day it can already act as a mild laxative and for some individuals doses larger than 20 grams per day it can cause gastrointestinal distress and diarrhea.

The information at Purebulk.com is NOT a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor or pharmacist. Do not use any dietary supplement as a replacement for conventional care, or as a reason to postpone seeing a doctor about a medical problem. Tell all your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

Sorbitol is used in the following Proprietary Formulas

Cookie Mixes (Bernard Food Industries etc), Cary's Maple Syrup, Diet-Cal Maple Syrup, Trident Sugarless Chewing Gum, Dentyne Gum, Sweet 'N Low Pancake Mix, Estee Lemon Creme Wafers, Coke, Now Foods Sorbitol, Smuckers, Berocca, Mannogem Powder, Osmitrol, Cargill, Roquette America, SPI Polyols, Anabolic Rush (AST), Maximize (I Force), Proteon Bars (Universal), The Protein Cookie (Fit Foods), Zerose (Cargill), Zsweet, VitaminWater 10 (owned by Coca Cola), Truvia™

References & Further Research

Sweet Choices: Sugar Replacements for Foods and Beverages
Food technologists now have more sweeteners from which to choose than ever before. With the obesity epidemic and the public attention it currently receives, plus the increasing interest in foods with added benefits, sweeteners that allow for consumer-appealing labeling are of particular interest. These sweeteners fall into two basic categories: those which are essentially calorie free, often referred to as low-calorie or intense sweeteners, and those which are significantly reduced in calories, which may be referred to as reduced calorie-sweeteners, bulk sweeteners, or sugar replacers. These sweeteners when used alone or in combination may permit such labeling as “lowcalorie,” “reduced-calorie,” “light,” “sugar-free,” and “does not promote tooth decay.”

The use of sorbitol- and xylitol-sweetened chewing gum in caries control
The author compared the caries-inhibitory action of sorbitol- and xylitol-sweetened chewing gum and assessed the role of these products in caries prevention. Overall data showed that when compared with sugar-sweetened gum, sorbitol-sweetened gum had low carcinogenicity when it was chewed no more than three times per day. Xylitol-sweetened gum was noncariogenic in all of the protocols tested. Some studies claimed that xylitol-sweetened gum had an anticariogenic effect, though these claims need further study. There also is good evidence that when mothers of infants and young children chew xylitol-sweetened gum, it will block transmission of mutans streptococci from mother to child. This would mean that there is strong enough evidence to support the regular use of xylitol-sweetened gum as a way to prevent caries, and it can be promoted as a public-health preventive measure. Chewing xylitol-sweetened gum, especially for patients who like chewing gum, can be fitted readily into a regimen that includes frequent fluoride exposure, good oral hygiene and regular dental appointments.

Sorbitol for International Customers

We have the most economical shipping costs & labeling practices for International orders. You can see our shipping costs here. Also, please note, that anything in a 1.5kg package can be shipped within a single flat rate envelope, however our shopping cart mistakenly displays 2 envelopes. Go ahead and ship the order, and you will notice that it only charges you the cost of 1 anyway. Look at the shipping costs tab above to see for yourself how you can calculate these charges.

Buying Sorbitol Bulk or Wholesale

If you need Sorbitol in bulk or wholesale quantities, please feel free to contact us with sourcing/shipping/fulfilment questions. If you have any questions about shipping or would like to arrange a shipment to an excluded country please use the contact page!