Different content of corn syrup, glucose syrup and fructose syrup

When looking at the nutritional value information on food packaging, you may find corn syrup, glucose syrup, or fructose syrup in the list of ingredients.

All three are indeed additional sweeteners that are part of the total sugar content of a product. So, what is the difference between the three?

Know corn syrup and how to make it

Like fruits and vegetables in general, corn also contains sugar. However, the sugar in corn is not like the sugar in mangoes, apples, strawberries, or other natural foods that taste sweet when eaten.

Mangoes, apples and strawberries contain sugar in the form of fructose. Fructose, or fruit sugar, has a simple chemical structure consisting of only one saccharide chain (sugar chain). This natural sugar belongs to a group called monosaccharides.

Meanwhile, corn has sugar in the form of starch. The chemical structure of starch consists of many saccharide chains joined into one large structure. Unlike fructose, corn starch does not taste sweet unless it has been processed into syrup.

To obtain this sweet taste, the complex corn starch chains must first be broken down into simpler saccharide chains. You do this by mixing corn starch, water, and alpha-amylase enzymes produced by bacteria Bacillus .

The mixture is then added with the gamma-amylase enzyme produced by the fungus Aspergillus. This process will break down the corn starch chain into glucose chains. The end result is corn syrup with a sweet taste.

Is glucose syrup the same as corn syrup?

First of all, you need to understand that glucose syrup is not the same as sugar, liquid sugar, or glucose in the blood. Glucose syrup is an added sweetener, as are corn syrup and fructose syrup.

Glucose syrup is also used as a thickener and moisture lock in commercial products. You can find it in candy and other sweet foods, beer, instant cake ingredients, fondant , as well as canned food.

The principle of making glucose syrup is basically the same as making corn syrup. Starches with complex saccharide chains are broken down by hydrolysis to form simple glucose chains with a sweet taste.

The difference is, the raw materials for making glucose syrup can vary. Starting from potatoes, cassava, barley (barley), wheat, and most commonly, corn. In other words, corn syrup is actually a type of glucose syrup.

On the other hand, glucose syrup is not necessarily corn syrup. The labels "glucose syrup" or "fructose syrup" you see may not come from corn.

Then, what is fructose syrup?

Source: Dr. Hyman

The 'fructose syrup' on product packaging usually refers to high fructose corn syrup (high fructose corn syrup / HFCS). Initially, the process of making HFCS is the same as ordinary corn syrup, which breaks down the corn starch into glucose.

However, the process doesn't stop there. Manufacturers re-add enzymes to convert glucose in corn syrup into fructose. This process is intended so that the corn syrup has a sweet taste that resembles granulated sugar.

Corn syrup, glucose syrup, and fructose found in added sweeteners basically have many uses. Not only does it give a sweet taste, glucose syrup can even make food last longer.

However, excessive consumption of additional sweeteners is thought to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, and increased blood cholesterol.

Keep limiting the consumption of all foods that contain various sweeteners so that your health is always maintained.

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