Process for the production of arabinitol

摘要

A method is disclosed for producing a pentitol. The disclosed method more particularly relates to producing arabinitol from hexoses, e.g. galactose and/or glucose, and/or fructose, or lactose hydrolysate, or invert sugar, or starch hydrolysates. The hexose is oxidatively decarboxylated to a C5-aldonic acid which is thereafter catalytically hydrogenated to obtain the desired arabinitol.