30 Mar 2005
Bacteria-based production method patented

Note to the attorneys that filed this idiotic patent: it's called "fermentation", guys, and I suspect that there may be some prior art, some of it in cuniform on clay tablets that are about 4500 years old ...

Look on a package of gum and you'll probably notice the word mannitol. Scientifically described as a sugar alcohol, mannitol is a minty-tasting ingredient found in many foods and boasts fewer calories than table sugar. Though made by some plants and algae, mannitol is commercially produced by chemical means. In February, however, the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) obtained a patent on a method that weds nature with modern technology. ARS chemist Badal Saha calls his method "biobased" because it involves feeding high-fructose corn syrup to the bacterial species Lactobacillus intermedius in a deep-tank fermentor. There, over several hours' time, the bacteria convert 72 percent of the syrup into mannitol.

(link) [Science Blog]

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