Glycerol (Glycerine)
What it does
Humectant, sweetener, solvent.
How it's made
From fats/oils or fermentation.
Glycerol, also called glycerine, is a clear, sweet-tasting liquid used as a humectant — it holds moisture and stops foods drying out — and also as a solvent, sweetener and softening agent in products such as icing, cake, sweets and low-fat spreads. It is a simple molecule that occurs naturally as the backbone of all fats.
It is obtained mainly as a by-product of processing fats and oils. When fats are split to make fatty acids or soaps, or converted to biodiesel, glycerol is released; this crude glycerol is then refined by distillation and treatment to give a pure, food-grade product. It can also be made synthetically from petrochemicals, but the fat-derived route dominates for food.
The purified glycerol is a clear, viscous, odourless syrup standardised for food use. Because it strongly attracts and holds water, a small amount keeps baked goods and confectionery soft and moist, and its mild sweetness and ability to dissolve flavours add to its usefulness.
Possible reactions
Generally safe; laxative in large amounts.