Form of existence
The main forms of sorbitol are liquid and solid: liquid sorbitol is mostly 50% or 70% colorless transparent aqueous solution; solid sorbitol is white needle-like, flaky or granular crystalline powder, and some contain 0.5 or 1 molecule of water of crystallization.
Flavor and sweetness
Sorbitol has a unique flavor, a cool and refreshing taste, and its sweetness is about 60% of that of sucrose at the same concentration.
Solubility and viscosity
Sorbitol is very soluble in water, slightly soluble in methanol, ethanol and acetic acid, etc. At 20°C, the solubility of sorbitol is 220g/100mL of water, and that of sucrose is only 195g/100mL of water. Due to its high solubility in water, sorbitol is not easy to crystallize during industrial production. Under the same conditions, the viscosity of sorbitol aqueous solution is slightly lower than that of sucrose.
Hygroscopicity and moisture retention
Sorbitol has great hygroscopicity, its hygroscopicity is much greater than that of sucrose, slightly smaller than that of glycerin, and it is easy to absorb moisture and agglomerate when the relative air humidity is high; but the hygroscopicity of sorbitol in the γ crystal form is small. Extend the shelf life of products.
Freezing point
The aqueous solution that reduces sorbitol will cause the freezing point to drop, and when it is applied to frozen food, it can avoid the appearance of ice slag, reduce the precipitation of crystal suspension or precipitation, and effectively improve the taste of the product.
Stability
The sorbitol molecule does not contain reducing groups, and its chemical properties are relatively stable, non-combustible, non-volatile, acid and alkali resistant, and not easily oxidized by air. Sorbitol has good thermal stability; under certain reaction conditions, sorbitol can undergo dehydration oxidation, esterification, etherification and other reactions, and can also chelate various metal ions in strong acid and strong alkali solutions.
Osmotic pressure
The molecular weight of sorbitol is slightly larger than that of glucose, so the osmotic pressure is close to that of glucose, which is 1.88 times that of sucrose. Higher osmotic pressure means correspondingly stronger resistance to microorganisms, which can be used to control microorganisms in fruit and vegetable sauces.