Bulk Sorbitol Solution 70% for Bakery, Beverage, and Personal Care Formulations
Sorbitol Solution USP/FCC is a 70% sorbitol and 30% water solution manufactured and packaged by Archer Daniels Midland in a bulk 600-pound (272 kilogram) drum. Also known as D-sorbitol or D-glucitol, sorbitol is a sugar alcohol used as a humectant, sweetener, texturizer, stabilizer, and formulation aid in commercial food, beverage, and personal care products.
In bakery applications, sorbitol helps retain moisture and maintain softness while providing sweetness and bulk. It can help preserve moistness in baked goods and fruit components and is useful in formulations designed for sugar reduction. Sorbitol is also used in cakes, snack bars, fillings, and other formulations where moisture retention and texture are important.
In beverage formulations, sorbitol provides sweetness without readily contributing to browning and can be combined with high-intensity sweeteners to improve taste and mouthfeel. Its humectant, sweetening, texturizing, and solvent or vehicle functions also make it useful across a range of flavor and formulation systems.
Sorbitol Solution also has established personal care and oral care applications. It is used in products such as toothpaste, mouthwash, and cosmetics where it can function as a moisture conditioner, softener, stabilizer, and humectant.
Common Applications
Sorbitol Solution 70% is commonly used for:
- Moisture retention in breads, cakes, snack bars, and other baked goods
- Maintaining softness and pliability in bakery formulations
- Sugar-reduced and sugar-free food formulations
- Beverage sweetening and mouthfeel adjustment
- Instant beverage and juice formulations
- Gummies, hard candies, fondants, fudge, and other confectionaries
- Flavoring systems requiring a sweetener, humectant, or vehicle
- Toothpaste and mouthwash
- Cosmetics and personal care formulations
- Texture modification and stabilization
Product Specifications
- Manufacturer: Archer Daniels Midland
- Package size: 600 lb drum
- Composition: 70% sorbitol and 30% water
- Grade: USP/FCC
- Appearance: Clear, colorless syrup
- Taste: Sweet and bland
- Odor: None
- D-Sorbitol assay: Minimum 64.0%
- Water: 28.5% to 31.5%
- pH, 14% solution: 5.0 to 7.5
- Specific gravity at 25°C: Minimum 1.285
- Refractive index at 20°C: 1.455 to 1.465
- Viscosity at 25°C: Approximately 110 centipoise
- Chemical formula: C₆H₁₄O₆
- Molecular weight: 182.17
- Sorbitol CAS number: 50-70-4
- Country of origin: United States
- Regulatory status: GRAS affirmed under 21 CFR 184.1835
- Certifications: Kosher and Halal
- Storage: Store above 70°F to help prevent crystallization
ADM’s specification also identifies approximately 71% total solids consisting primarily of D-sorbitol with smaller amounts of mannitol and other polyhydric alcohols.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sorbitol Solution 70% used for?
Sorbitol Solution is used as a humectant, nutritive sweetener, texturizer, stabilizer, and formulation aid. Commercial applications include baked goods, beverages, sugar-reduced foods, flavor systems, toothpaste, mouthwash, cosmetics, and other personal care formulations.
How does sorbitol function as a humectant?
Sorbitol helps retain moisture within a formulation. In bakery products, this can help maintain softness and moistness, while in personal care and oral care formulations it can help condition moisture and prevent products from drying out.
Why is sorbitol used in toothpaste and mouthwash?
Sorbitol provides sweetness while functioning as a humectant, stabilizer, and softener. These properties make it useful for maintaining moisture, consistency, and product characteristics in toothpaste, mouthwash, and other oral care formulations.
Is sorbitol the same as D-glucitol?
Yes. FDA lists D-glucitol, D-sorbitol, sorbitol, and related naming variations as names for the same substance, CAS 50-70-4.
Are there special labeling considerations for foods containing sorbitol?
Yes. Under 21 CFR 184.1835, foods whose reasonably foreseeable consumption could result in 50 grams of sorbitol per day require the statement, “Excess consumption may have a laxative effect.”
What should be done if Sorbitol Solution crystallizes during storage?
The product should be stored above 70°F to help prevent crystallization. If crystals develop, the solution can be returned to its normal condition using heat and gentle agitation.
