Sorbitol
The Gentle Sugar Alcohol Powering Low-Calorie Sweetness and Multi-Functional Formulation Support
Product Specifications
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Item
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Specification
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Product Name
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Sorbitol
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Abbreviation
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D-Glucitol / Sorbitol
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CAS Number
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50-70-4
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Molecular Formula
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C₆H₁₄O₆
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Molecular Weight
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182.17
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Appearance
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White to Off-White Crystalline Powder or Colorless Transparent Viscous Liquid
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Assay
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≥99%
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Test Method
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HPLC
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Shelf Life
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24 Months
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Storage Condition
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Store in a Cool, Dry Place, Sealed Away from Excess Moisture
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Why Is Sorbitol So Popular?
The growing global popularity of Sorbitol is closely linked to the rising demand for mild, cost-effective low-sugar ingredients, alongside decades of verified safe use across the food, supplement and personal care industries. As a naturally occurring 6-carbon sugar alcohol widely found in fruits, berries and seaweed, Sorbitol delivers irreplaceable multi-functional benefits that support multiple key product formulation needs. It plays essential roles in:
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Low-calorie sweetening for sugar-free formulations
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Humectant to retain product moisture and soft texture
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Viscosity regulator to optimize product mouthfeel
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Dental caries prevention for oral care products
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Active ingredient stabilizer extending finished product shelf life
Research shows that regular sucrose brings high calorie intake, high glycemic response and dental erosion risks that many health-focused consumers aim to avoid. As a GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) certified sugar substitute with excellent cost performance, Sorbitol has become a foundational staple ingredient widely used across nearly all segments of the global low-sugar food, supplement and personal care product categories.
Key Benefits of Sorbitol
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1. Delivers Gentle Sweet Taste With 40% Fewer Calories Than Sucrose
Sorbitol features 60% of the sweetness intensity of regular table sugar, with no unpleasant bitter aftertaste, and only 2.6 kcal per gram that is 40% lower than the calorie content of sucrose. It perfectly satisfies consumers' sugar craving needs without triggering extreme blood sugar spikes, making it an ideal mild sweetener choice for low-sugar formulation scenarios.
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2. Outstanding Humectant Performance to Preserve Product Texture
Sorbitol has excellent water retention capacity, it can effectively lock in moisture inside the product, prevent baked goods, chewy candies and gummy supplements from drying out and turning hard, keeping them soft, fresh and chewy for an extended shelf life, dramatically improving long-term user experience of finished products.
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3. Supports Dental Health and Prevents Cavities
Oral harmful bacteria cannot ferment and utilize Sorbitol to produce enamel-eroding acidic metabolites, just like other sugar alcohols. Regular appropriate consumption of Sorbitol will not cause dental caries, making it a perfect sweetener choice for sugar-free chewing gum, oral lozenges and children's oral care products.
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4. Acts as Excellent Formulation Stabilizer and Texture Regulator
Sorbitol effectively lowers the freezing point of frozen products and raises the boiling point of liquid formulations, optimizes the texture and mouthfeel of sugar-free beverages, ice cream and baked goods, and can also protect heat-sensitive active ingredients from degradation during high-temperature production processes, extending product overall stability.
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5. Features Extremely High Safety and Wide Tolerance
Sorbitol has been approved as a safe food ingredient by global major food regulatory authorities. It has a decades-long verified safe consumption track record, and its metabolic pathway in the human body does not require insulin participation, making it suitable for low-glycemic formulation needs for consumers pursuing stable blood sugar levels.
Applications
Sorbitol is an extremely versatile multi-functional ingredient widely adopted across multiple fast-growing product categories:
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Sugar-Free Chewing Gum and Oral Health Products
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Low-Sugar Confectionery, Hard Candy and Gummy Supplements
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Moisture-Retaining Humectant for Baked Pastry Products
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Low-Glycemic Diabetic Friendly Food and Beverages
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Viscosity Regulator for Liquid Syrup and Oral Nutritional Products
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Texture Improver for Frozen Desserts and Ice Cream
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Humectant in Toothpaste, Skincare and Cosmetic Formulations
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Bulking Agent for Multi-Vitamin and Mineral Chewable Tablets
Common dosage forms include:
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Crystalline Powder
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Viscous Liquid Syrup
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Chewing Gum
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Candy and Lozenges
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Gummies
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Oral Syrup Products
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Baked Goods
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Toothpaste and Skincare Formulations
Sorbitol vs Other Common Sweetener & Formulation Ingredients
While the sugar substitute and formulation aid category continues to expand, Sorbitol remains one of the most widely recognized cost-effective multi-functional sugar alcohols with unmatched humectant performance.
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Ingredient
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Primary Function
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Sorbitol
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Multi-Functional Sugar Alcohol, Sweetener + Humectant, High Cost Performance
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Xylitol
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Sugar Alcohol, Equal Sweetness to Sucrose, Specialized for Cavity Prevention
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Erythritol
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Zero Calorie Sugar Alcohol, Zero Glycemic Response
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Sucrose (Table Sugar)
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Traditional High Calorie Sweetener, High Glycemic Index
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Glycerin
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Humectant, Viscosity Regulator for Personal Care Products
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Mannitol
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Low Hygroscopicity Sugar Alcohol, Anti-Caking Agent for Powder Products
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Leading food and supplement brands very often combine Sorbitol with complementary ingredients such as other natural sweeteners, humectants or actives to create optimized multi-benefit formulations that balance perfect taste, texture and long product shelf life.
Market Opportunity
The global low-sugar, sugar-free and functional food manufacturing market continues to experience strong growth, as consumers increasingly demand mild, cost-effective, multi-functional low-sugar products that do not sacrifice taste and sensory experience. Several key trends are continuously fueling the rising market demand for high-purity Sorbitol:
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Global booming low-sugar consumer market growing at double-digit rates year by year
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Fast expansion of the sugar-free gummy and chewable supplement category that has extremely high texture requirements
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Rising demand for mild, consumer-friendly sugar substitutes suitable for children and elderly consumer groups
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Massive market demand for multi-functional humectant ingredients in the food and personal care industries
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Widely recognized safety profile with decades of verified mass consumption history
As a result, Sorbitol remains one of the most commercially attractive, cost-effective ingredients for brands developing next-generation low-sugar wellness and high-quality formulation products.
Frequently Asked Questions
1.What is Sorbitol?
Sorbitol, also known as D-Glucitol, is a natural plant-derived 6-carbon sugar alcohol, a multi-functional ingredient that acts as both a low-calorie sweetener and an excellent humectant, widely used in food, supplement and personal care products.
2.Is Sorbitol naturally found in food?
Yes. Natural Sorbitol exists in large amounts in many common fruits and plants including apples, pears, peaches, prunes and seaweed.
3.What is the difference between Sorbitol and Xylitol?
Sorbitol delivers better moisture retention performance and far higher cost performance, making it ideal as a formulation humectant and low-intensity sweetener, while Xylitol has equal sweetness to sucrose and more prominent specialized dental health benefits.
4.What formulations can Sorbitol be used in?
Sorbitol features excellent water solubility, great thermal stability, no unpleasant aftertaste and wide ingredient compatibility, suitable for chewing gum, candy, gummies, oral syrups, baked goods, frozen desserts, chewable tablets, toothpaste and nearly all common low-sugar food and supplement applications.
5.What purity level is typically available?
Premium food-grade Sorbitol is commonly produced at purity levels of 99% or higher, fully meeting global food safety and supplement manufacturing regulatory standards.
Looking for a Reliable Sorbitol Supplier?
As demand for high-quality multi-functional low-sugar products continues to grow, ingredient purity, taste consistency, low heavy metal residue and supply reliability have become increasingly critical for food, supplement and personal care brands and manufacturers.
Nutrient Trail supplies high-purity Sorbitol designed for sugar-free food, supplement, oral care and beverage applications. Comprehensive technical documentation, including specifications, COA, and full quality assurance information, is available to support your product development and commercialization.