Humectants

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Humectants are food additives that prevent food from drying out by binding added water during manufacture (i.e. preventing it from evaporating ) or by attracting humidity during storage . By preventing the finished food from hardening, they act as plasticizers . In confectionery they counteract the crystallization of the sugar.

Examples of humectants are:

At room temperature, glycerine is a colorless, odorless and viscous liquid that tastes sweet. Glycerine is chemically bound in every fat.

Compound of glucose (sugar), sorbitol (sugar substitute) and citric acid .

is z. B. in pears, plums, apples, apricots, peaches and dried fruits. It is a sugar substitute, but has only 60% of the sweetening power of sugar.

Examples

Cosmetics

Skin care

Humectants such as glycerine , sorbitol , 1,2-propylene glycol , xylitol or other polyalcohols play an important role in skin care .

dental care

Humectants are added to the toothpaste to prevent it from drying out and to maintain the consistency so that the paste remains pliable and does not become encrusted even after long periods of storage.

Web links

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Günter Vollmer and Manfred Franz: Chemical products in everyday life , Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart, 1985, pp. 99-108, ISBN 3-13-670201-8 .
  2. ^ Günter Vollmer and Manfred Franz: Chemical products in everyday life , Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart, 1985, p. 161, ISBN 3-13-670201-8 .