Sorbitol
What it does
Sweetener/humectant.
How it's made
Made by hydrogenating glucose.
Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol (polyol) used as a sweetener and humectant; it is about half as sweet as sugar, adds bulk and moisture, and provides fewer calories, so it appears in sugar-free sweets, chewing gum, and reduced-sugar products. It occurs naturally in some fruits and berries.
It is made from glucose. Glucose syrup, usually from corn or wheat starch, is hydrogenated — hydrogen is added across the sugar molecule under pressure with a metal catalyst — which converts the glucose into sorbitol. This straightforward chemical reduction turns a sugar into its corresponding sugar alcohol.
The sorbitol solution is purified and supplied as a syrup or crystallised into a powder. Because it is absorbed slowly and not fully, it provides fewer calories and does not spike blood sugar as ordinary sugar does, and it does not feed the bacteria that cause tooth decay; eaten in large amounts, however, sugar alcohols can have a laxative effect, which is noted on labels.
Possible reactions
Laxative effect and bloating in larger amounts.