Sorbitol, white hygroscopic powder or crystalline powder, flake or granule, odorless. The melting point varies from 88 ℃ to 102℃ and the relative density is about 1.49, depending on the crystallization conditions. Soluble in water (1g soluble in about 0.45ml water), slightly soluble in ethanol and acetic acid. According to the supply of sorbitol Beite chemical understanding: food industry is mostly 69~71% of the content of sorbitol liquid. Sorbitol solution is a clear, colorless, syrupy liquid, sweet, neutral to litmus, miscible with water, glycerol and propylene glycol. Can be used as nutritive sweetener, wetting agent, chelating agent and stabilizer.
Sorbitol has anti-caries properties:
Sugar is the main cause of dental caries. Certain microbes in the mouth ferment sugar to produce acids that destroy the enamel on the surface of the teeth, causing dental caries.
Sorbitol has a cool sweetness, about half the sweetness of sucrose, and a similar calorific value to sucrose. Compared with sucrose, sorbitol is much better in preventing dental caries. While sucrose intake leads to rapid acid production on the tooth surface resulting in a decrease in pH, sorbitol intake leads to less of a decrease in tooth surface pH, which is still above the critical value of 5.7, thus greatly reducing the likelihood of dental caries.
Research shows that after chewing chewing gum containing sorbitol for 20min and 30d, the plaque on the surface of teeth was significantly reduced, which also promoted the re-mineralization of the occlusal surface and early buccal caries of molars.
