How are sugar alcohols such as sorbitol and mannitol made from monosaccharides?

Sugar alcohols, also known as alditols, are produced through the chemical reduction of monosaccharides. This process involves adding hydrogen to the aldehyde or keto group of a sugar molecule to form an alcohol.1

Specifically, the reduction of the aldehyde carbon of d-glucose results in the formation of sorbitol (also known as d-glucitol). Similarly, the reduction of mannose yields mannitol, while the reduction of galactose produces dulcitol. While these compounds can occur naturally in certain plants, those used in commercial food products are typically manufactured through the industrial hydrogenation of sugars.12