The Production of Mannitol by Fermentation

D -Mannitol is a sugar alcohol with many applications in food, pharmaceuticals, medicine, and chemistry. Mannitol crystallizes in small white needles with a melting point of 165–170�C. Mannitol has a sweet cool taste owing to its high negative heat of solution (−121 kJ/kg). It is about half as sweet as sucrose. Mannitol has a low solubility in water of only 18% (w/v) at 25�C. Especially in alkaline solutions, it is a powerful sequestrant of metallic ions.