Corn syrup
hideCorn syrup is a syrup, made using cornstarch as a feedstock, and composed mainly of glucose. A series of two enzymatic reactions are used to convert the corn starch to corn syrup. Its major uses in commercially-prepared foods are as a thickener, sweetener, and for its moisture-retaining (humectant) properties which keep foods moist and help to maintain freshness.
Corn syrup is used to soften texture, add volume, prohibit crystallization and enhance flavour. Because cane sugar quotas raise the price of sugar in the United States, domestically produced corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup are a less expensive alternative often used in American-made processed and mass-produced foods, candies, and sodas to help control costs.
The more general term glucose syrup is often used synonymously with corn syrup, since the former is most commonly made from corn starch. Technically, glucose syrup is any liquid starch hydrolysate of mono, di, and higher saccharides and can be made from any sources of starch; wheat, rice and potatoes are the most common sources.
Glucose (or dextrose) syrup is produced from number 2 yellow dent corn. When wet milled, approximately 2.3 litres of corn is required to yield an average of 947g of starch, to produce 1kg of glucose (or dextrose) syrup (a bushel of corn will yield an average of 31.5 pounds of starch, which in turn will yield about 33.3 pounds of syrup). Thus, it takes about 2,300 litres of corn to produce a tonne of glucose syrup (or 60 bushels of corn to produce one short ton).
The viscosity and sweetness of the syrup depends on the extent to which the hydrolysis reaction has been carried out. To distinguish different grades of syrup, they are rated according to their "dextrose equivalent" (DE).
Glucose syrup was the primary corn sweetener in the United States prior to the expansion of High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) production. HFCS is a variant in which other enzymes are used to convert some of the glucose into fructose. The resulting syrup is sweeter and more soluble. Corn syrup is also available as a retail product. The most popular retail corn syrup product in the United States is Karo Syrup, a fructose/glucose syrup.
For more information about Corn syrup, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with corn syrup
High fructose corn syrup: A recipe for hypertension
Oct 30, 2009 |
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A diet high in fructose increases the risk of developing high blood pressure (hypertension), according to a paper being presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 42nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in San ...
Heat forms potentially harmful substance in high-fructose corn syrup
Oct 14, 2009 |
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Researchers have established the conditions that foster formation of potentially dangerous levels of a toxic substance in the high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) often fed to honey bees. Their study, which appears ...
Heat forms potentially harmful substance in high-fructose corn syrup
Aug 26, 2009 |
4.8 / 5 (6) |
2
Researchers have established the conditions that foster formation of potentially dangerous levels of a toxic substance in the high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) often fed to honey bees. Their study, which appears ...
Researchers find that eating high levels of fructose impairs memory in rats
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Jul 16, 2009 |
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Researchers at Georgia State University have found that diets high in fructose -- a type of sugar found in most processed foods and beverages -- impaired the spatial memory of adult rats.
Recent news reports of sweetener reformulations raise questions about motivations
Jun 30, 2009 |
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The misleading "health" halo surrounding highly-publicized marketing campaigns regarding sweetener reformulations is starting to dim.
Scientists say consumers confused about sugars
Jun 08, 2009 |
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Three top researchers corrected inaccuracies and misunderstandings concerning high fructose corn syrup's impact on the American diet. They also examined how the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) considers this ...
Fructose metabolism by the brain increases food intake and obesity
Mar 25, 2009 |
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The journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications (BBRC), published by Elsevier, will publish an important review this week online, by M. Daniel Lane and colleagues at Johns Hopkins, building on the suggested link b ...
Pure fructose frequently confused with high fructose corn syrup
Mar 04, 2009 |
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As researchers continue to examine the role of sweeteners in the diet, it's important that people understand the differences among various ingredients used in scientific studies, according to the Corn Refiners Association ...
Missing link between fructose, insulin resistance found
Mar 03, 2009 |
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A new study in mice sheds light on the insulin resistance that can come from diets loaded with high-fructose corn syrup, a sweetener found in most sodas and many other processed foods. The report in the March issue of Cell Me ...
Women who drink lots of soda at higher risk for early kidney disease
Feb 09, 2009 |
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Women who drink two or more cans of soda pop per day are nearly twice as likely to show early signs of kidney disease, a recent study has found.
Researchers find traces of mercury in high-fructose corn syrup
Jan 27, 2009 |
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A swig of soda or bite of a candy bar might be sweet, but a new study suggests that food made with corn syrup also could be delivering tiny doses of toxic mercury.
