High Fructose Corn Syrup

High fructose corn syrup is a nutritive sweetener, manufactured from corn, that is commonly used as a substitute for sucrose in carbonated soft drinks.

The glucoses syrup are treated with enzymes glucose isomerase to convert about half of the glucose to fructose to produce high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

Commercial glucose isomerase is produced from a variety of microorganism: Bacillus coagulans, Actinplanes missourensis and several Streptomyces species.

The high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) formed is at least as sweet as sucrose or more sweet, depending on the fructose content.

Fructose consumption has been on an explosive rise, increasing nearly 2000% over the past 3 decades, has been parallel the epidemics of obesity, metabolic syndrome, hypertension and chronic kidney disease.

Theoretically, HFCS has an advantage over the original corn syrup because fructose is about twice as sweet as glucose.

This means that less fructose containing corn syrup can be used to sweet a product than should be needed of ordinary corn syrup were used.

This difference is an advantage in beverages or other fluid applications but not in baked products.

Nevertheless, there are many applications of high fructose corn syrup by food manufacturers. And manufacturers like to use it because it’s cheap, has a long shelf life and even has anti bacterial properties (therefore food won’t spoil easily).

It is used in soft drinks, bakery products, jams, preserves, and many other convenience foods.
High Fructose Corn Syrup