Food grade polyol · D-glucitol · CAS 50-70-4
Source the correct sorbitol form for sweetness, bulk, moisture management and texture. Crystalline sorbitol E420(i) and sorbitol syrup E420(ii) are separate purchasing specifications—not interchangeable labels for one product.
State crystalline or syrup, solids/composition target, application, quantity and destination.
Product identity
Sorbitol, also called D-glucitol, is a polyol used in foods as a sweetener, humectant, bulking agent, texturizer, stabilizer and sequestrant. The FAO/WHO JECFA monograph identifies crystalline sorbitol as INS 420(i), CAS 50-70-4.
Sorbitol syrup is a separate food-additive identity, INS 420(ii). It is an aqueous polyol preparation whose non-sorbitol fraction can vary with the feedstock and process. Buyers therefore need the exact form, composition basis and source-specific specification—not only the word “sorbitol.”
The decisive purchasing choice
Search results often combine “sorbitol powder,” “sorbitol 70% solution” and “non-crystallizing sorbitol,” but these terms describe materially different handling and formulation questions.
Choose a dry form when water addition is undesirable or when dry blending, particle behavior and dissolution are important.
Choose an aqueous form when liquid handling and pre-dissolved solids fit the process. “70%” commonly refers to total dry substance, not automatically 70% pure D-sorbitol in the finished liquid.
Availability boundary: this page does not assert that every form or composition is always available. Bespring sales must match the offered source and current signed specification to the RFQ.
Function-led application screening
Sorbitol contributes more than sweetness. Changing form or replacing sucrose by weight can alter water, total solids, texture, freezing behavior and process conditions.
Screen bulk, sweetness, cooling sensation, moisture retention and crystallization behavior. Test chew or bite, surface condition, stickiness and stability in the finished product.
Evaluate softness and moisture retention alongside dough/batter water, bake loss, browning, filling migration, stickiness and shelf texture. Syrup water must be included in the formulation balance.
Assess freezing-point response, solids, sweetness, overrun, ice-crystal development and melt behavior. Validate with the full sugar, stabilizer and milk-solids system.
Check clarity, viscosity, taste, pH compatibility and microbial control. Confirm whether the selected syrup profile remains stable at storage and processing temperatures.
Reference identity—not a Bespring sales specification
JECFA provides an independent identity and purity benchmark. The limits below do not prove that an offered Bespring source conforms; the signed source specification and lot COA govern supply.
| Field | JECFA reference | Purchasing interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Total glycitols | ≥97.0% on anhydrous basis | Not identical to D-sorbitol assay |
| D-sorbitol | ≥91.0% on anhydrous basis | Confirm method and reporting basis |
| Form | White hygroscopic powder, crystalline powder, flakes or granules | State required physical form and particle behavior |
| Solubility | Very soluble in water; slightly soluble in ethanol | Run dissolution testing in the actual process |
| Melting range | 88–102°C | Identity reference, not a process guarantee |
Review the FAO/WHO JECFA monograph for identity, assay basis and purity tests applying to INS 420(i).
Open the JECFA crystalline sorbitol monographReview the JECFA database entry for INS 420(ii). A syrup specification must state its own dry substance and polyol/sugar profile.
Open the JECFA sorbitol syrup recordBuild a usable purchasing specification
Because no approved Bespring specification was supplied for public use, this page identifies the fields to obtain rather than inventing ranges.
Crystalline E420(i) or syrup E420(ii); total solids; D-sorbitol and total glycitols/polyols; dry-basis versus as-is reporting; crystallizing profile if applicable.
Reducing sugars, total sugars, mannitol/other polyols, water, pH, residue/ash, nickel and other destination-standard impurities with methods and units.
Powder particle size, bulk density and flow, or syrup color/clarity, refractive index, density and viscosity at a stated temperature.
Microbiological criteria where applicable, allergen/origin declarations, valid site certificates, packing, shelf life, storage, quantity, Incoterm and destination.
Document set: request the current signed specification/TDS, SDS, representative COA and batch COA. Kosher, Halal, food-safety or other certificates must be verified for the exact product, site and validity period.
Formulation decision
A technically sound trial separates sweetness from bulk, water management, texture and freezing behavior.
State the target sweetness, water activity/moisture, solids, texture, shelf response and process constraints.
Account for the water in syrup or the dissolution and particle behavior of crystalline material.
Adjust water and other sweeteners, bulking agents or stabilizers using measured rather than assumed equivalence.
Measure sensory profile, texture, crystallization, migration, microbial stability and packaging interaction under intended conditions.
Storage and handling
Buyer questions
No. Crystalline sorbitol is a dry E420(i) ingredient. Sorbitol syrup is an aqueous E420(ii) polyol preparation. A “70%” syrup description usually concerns dry substance and must not be read as an automatic statement of D-sorbitol purity.
E420(i) identifies sorbitol as the crystalline substance; E420(ii) identifies sorbitol syrup. The syrup may contain other hydrogenated saccharides/polyols, so its full composition and crystallizing behavior require separate confirmation.
There is no universal answer. Powder avoids adding syrup water and makes particle properties relevant; syrup is already dissolved but changes the water and liquid-handling balance. Test moisture, texture, crystallization, stickiness and shelf performance in the complete formulation.
No. Such claims depend on the complete product, serving/composition criteria and the law of the destination market. Bespring does not use a single ingredient as proof of a finished-food health or nutrition claim.
State crystalline E420(i) or syrup E420(ii), intended application, solids and composition basis, crystallizing requirement if relevant, critical test limits, quantity, packing, destination, Incoterm and required documents.
Substantive content review: 2026-08-22 · Independent identity reference: FAO/WHO JECFA.
Related sweetener decisions
Compare another bulk polyol by sweetness, solids, crystallization and application behavior.
Compare a crystalline polyol with a different sweetness, cooling and moisture profile.
Evaluate sweetness adjustment separately from the bulk and moisture contribution of sorbitol.
Review related ingredient options and begin a specification-led sourcing request.
Form-specific sourcing
Identify the exact form and reporting basis so sales can screen a relevant source instead of returning a generic “sorbitol” offer.