PURE SORBITOL SYRUPS

1. Process for the preparation of very high purity sorbitol syrup, characterized by the fact that a starting material of which a first part is constituted by a starch hydrolysate, is subjected to a process comprising in combination - a catalytic hydrogenation step of the starting material, - a chromatographic separation step of the starting material which has undergone hydrogenation into a first fraction containing very pure sorbitol which is recovered and into a second fraction containing, besides sorbitol, non-hydrogenated sugars as well as hydrogenated di- and polysaccharides, - an acid hydrolysis step of the abovesaid second fraction, which provides a partially hydrogenated starch hydrolysate which is recirculated and which constitutes a second part of the starting material subjected to the hydrogenation step.