White, odorless, sweet-tasting powder.
Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol. It has two thirds the calories of sugar, and is not as sweet (60% as sweet as sugar) . It is poorly absorbed by the body, so it does not raise insulin levels as much as sugar. It does not promote tooth decay.
Sorbitol and mannitol are isomers, substances with the same chemical formula, but a different shape.
Sorbitol can be described as a glucose molecule with two hydrogens added. The two extra hydrogens are on either side of what used to be the double bond connecting the oxygen to the carbon, which is now a single bond.