How Is Polysorbate 80 Made?

Polysorbate 80 is produced by the ethoxylation of a molecule called sorbitan. Sorbitan is the dehydrated form of sorbitol, a sugar alcohol that can naturally be found in some fruits. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction in which ethylene oxide is added to a substrate, in this case, sorbitan.

How is polysorbate 80 manufactured?

Polysorbate 80 can also be produced by reacting sorbitol and ethylene oxide first then esterified with oleic acid, the following are the brief flow chart (⁴): Obtaining the mixture of sorbitol and sorbitan by partially dehydrating sorbitol. Adding ethylene oxide to the mixture to obtain sorbitan polyethylene ether.

Is polysorbate 80 a natural ingredient?

This is a lesser known synthetic compound, also known as Tween 80. ... It is made from polyethoxylated sorbitan (chemical compounds derived from the dehydration of sugar alcohol) and oleic acid, a fatty acid found in animal and vegetable fats.