WHY GLYCERIN USP?
The purpose of this brochure is to provide information, ina convenient Q&A format, about glycerin USP and thecomparable food grade glycerin. Glycerin USP and foodgrade glycerin meet the requirements mandated by U.S.Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regulations for use infoods, drugs, medical devices and certain other productsrequiring ingredients of the highest purity.
WHAT IS GLYCERIN?
Glycerin, sometimes spelled glycerine, is a commercial productwhose principal component is glycerol. The terms glycerin,glycerine, and glycerol are often used interchangeably inthe literature.Glycerin is one of the most versatile and valuable chemicalsubstances known to man. It possesses a unique combinationof physical and chemical properties that are utilized inmyriad products. Glycerin has over 1,500 known end uses,including many applications as an ingredient or processingaid in cosmetics, toiletries, personal care, drugs, and foodproducts. In addition, glycerin is highly stable under typicalstorage conditions, compatible with many other chemicalmaterials, virtually non-toxic and non-irritating in its varieduses, and has no known negative environmental effects.A water clear, odorless, viscous liquid with a sweet taste,glycerin is derived from both natural and petrochemicalfeedstocks. It occurs in combined form (triglycerides) in allanimal fats and vegetable oils and constitutes, on average,about 10 percent of these materials. Glycerin is obtainedfrom fats and oils during soap and fatty acid production andby transesterification (an interchange of fatty acid groupswith another alcohol). It is subsequently concentrated andpurified prior to commercial sale. Synthetic glycerin isproduced from petrochemical building blocks via severalprocessing steps designed to achieve the desired concentrationand high product quality. Glycerin, whether recovered fromtriglycerides or synthesized,is principally used as a highlyrefined and purified product, with a very high concentrationof glycerol.Glycerol, the main component of glycerin, has the chemicalformula C3H5(OH)3
.It is a trihydric alcohol, possessing two primary and one secondary hydroxyl groups, which areits potential reaction sites and the basis for glycerin’s versatilityas a chemical raw material. For example, glycerol esters, thereaction products of glycerin with various fatty acids form animportant class of derivatives that are extensively used in thefood industry. The physical properties and characteristics of glycerin are as significant as its chemical properties for manyapplications. These qualities enable glycerin to be used as ahumectant, plasticizer, emollient, thickener, solvent, dispersingmedium, lubricant, sweetener, bodying agent, antifreeze andprocessing aid. It is not unusual for glycerin to contributetwo or more features or attributes to a product or application.In all applications, whether as a reactant or as an additive,the virtual non-toxicity and overall safety of glycerin isalways of significant benefit. Glycerin applications appear tobe limited only by the imagination and creativity of thescientific and technical communities.Most of the glycerin marketed today is manufactured tomeet the stringent requirements of the United StatesPharmacopeia (USP) and the Food Chemicals Codex(FCC). However, technical grades of glycerin that are notcertified as USP or FCC are available. Glycerin is used inmany consumer products such as personal care preparations,cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and foods because of its
