Food grade polyol · D-glucitol · CAS 50-70-4
Product image · confirm grade and packaging when ordering
State crystalline or syrup, solids/composition target, application, quantity and destination.
Form firstCrystalline and syrup RFQs are separated
Specification-ledComposition and methods must be source-specific
Application reviewMoisture, texture and sweetness tested together
Batch evidenceRequest current specification and COA
Product identity
Sorbitol, also called D-glucitol, is a polyol used in foods as a sweetener, humectant, bulking agent, texturizer, stabilizer and sequestrant. The JECFA sorbitol monograph identifies INS 420(i), CAS 50-70-4, with formula C6H14O6 and molecular mass 182.17 g/mol. These identifiers refer to D-sorbitol, not a complete syrup composition.
Sorbitol syrup is a separate food-additive identity, INS 420(ii). The JECFA sorbitol syrup specification describes a glucose-syrup hydrogenation product containing D-sorbitol, D-mannitol and other hydrogenated saccharides. Confirm composition and identity from the offered specification: dissolving sorbitol in water alone is not sufficient to identify an E420(ii) syrup.
The decisive purchasing choice
Compare identity, composition and handling together. “Sorbitol 70% solution” and “non-crystallizing sorbitol” are commercial descriptions that need a defined solids basis and saccharide profile, not substitutes for a specification.
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.
Before selecting a grade: ask sales to confirm available form, additive identity, composition, particle size or liquid-handling properties, and the applicable specification. A crystallizing/non-crystallizing description is grade-specific; check its test conditions.
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, moisture retention and crystallization behavior. Cooling sensation is relevant when solid sorbitol dissolves during consumption; do not assume a pre-dissolved syrup gives the same effect. 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.
For a permitted liquid-food application, check clarity, viscosity, taste, pH compatibility and microbial control. Humectancy does not establish microbiological shelf stability. Confirm whether the selected syrup profile remains stable at storage and processing temperatures.
Independent standard reference
The selected fields below are JECFA reference requirements, not Bespring commercial guarantees or batch results. Agree the source-specific specification and methods before purchase, then compare the batch COA with those agreed limits. Assay, identity and food-use permission are separate checks.
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| Field | JECFA reference | Purchasing interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Total glycitols | ≥97.0% on anhydrous basis | Separate total glycitols from D-sorbitol; specify chromatographic method |
| D-sorbitol | ≥91.0% on anhydrous basis | Confirm HPLC method and anhydrous versus as-supplied 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 |
The monograph specifies assay by liquid chromatography, water by Karl Fischer, and separate lead, nickel, reducing-sugar and total-sugar tests. Request corresponding results; a total heavy-metals entry cannot replace individual element tests.
Open the JECFA crystalline sorbitol monographThe JECFA syrup monograph specifies ≥99.0% hydrogenated saccharides and ≥50.0% D-sorbitol on the anhydrous basis. Neither percentage is the syrup solids concentration. Request dry substance, water, composition and reporting basis separately; these standard values are not the offered grade specification.
Open the JECFA sorbitol syrup recordBuild a usable purchasing specification
Request grade-specific criteria with methods, units and a document revision. A representative COA assists initial review; the supplied lot needs its own results. Confirm packaging, shelf life and delivery terms in the offer rather than assuming one format applies to both powder and syrup.
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 and total sugars with glucose-equivalent basis; mannitol/other polyols; water method; pH with concentration/temperature; sulfated ash or stated residue method; individual lead, nickel and other required impurities. Karl Fischer water is not loss on drying.
Powder particle size, bulk density and flow, or syrup color/clarity, refractive index, density and viscosity at a stated temperature. A Brix or refractive-index reading requires a validated product-specific correlation; it does not measure D-sorbitol purity by itself.
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. Confirm document availability. Kosher, Halal, food-safety or other certificates require the exact product, site and validity period; company certification alone does not establish sorbitol coverage. For U.S. use, 21 CFR 184.1835 incorporates an FCC specification. A JECFA result alone is not proof of meeting that incorporated standard.
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. Powder requires a dry-material specification; a liquid also requires its water and composition profile. Ask what “70%” measures: dry substance and D-sorbitol assay are different. Confirm whether the liquid is a sorbitol solution or an E420(ii) syrup under the applicable specification.
E420(i) identifies sorbitol. E420(ii) identifies sorbitol syrup, a preparation containing D-sorbitol and other hydrogenated saccharides/polyols. Physical form alone does not establish the identity; confirm the composition, standard and reporting basis of the exact offered product.
Choose by the process. Powder makes particle size, flow, blending and dissolution relevant. Syrup adds water and requires suitable liquid handling. Compare sweetness, moisture, texture and crystallization in the complete formulation; neither is a one-to-one sucrose replacement.
Treat the description as grade-specific behavior under stated conditions. Request the saccharide profile and storage/handling instructions, and test temperature cycles, concentration changes and formulation compatibility. Do not assume indefinite stability from the product name.
No. Total solids describe dry material in a liquid. Total glycitols and D-sorbitol describe different compositional measures. Compare values only with the stated analytical method and dry or as-supplied basis; refractive index alone does not establish D-sorbitol purity.
No. Ingredient identity alone cannot substantiate a finished-food nutrition or health claim. Review the full formulation, destination-market criteria and required sweetener or consumption warnings. Sorbitol use must also satisfy the conditions for the intended food category.
Specify the form and additive identity, required food standard, solids and D-sorbitol reporting basis, application and process, particle size or liquid-handling needs, and critical test limits. Include quantity, packaging, destination, Incoterm, delivery requirements and requested TDS, SDS, COA and certificates.
Content updated: 2026-10-05 · Independent references: FAO/WHO JECFA and U.S. eCFR.
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.
Tell us your grade and destination market so we can confirm which documents are available for your order.
An external reference is not a batch certificate or a Bespring product specification. NIHS — D-Sorbitol ↗