High fructose corn syrup is an ingredient found in many of the foods and beverages that line grocery store shelves. In recent years, the controversy surrounding high fructose corn syrup has grown as the health effects have fallen into debate. Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., with MayoClinic.com explains that high fructose corn syrup is often used in products because it prolongs the shelf life of the food or beverage, and it's cheaper than cane sugar.
Corn
The base of high fructose corn syrup is corn kernels. The kernels are cooked in water that is 122 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit for nearly two days. The corn kernels double in size during this time. After this process, the kernels move onto more rigorous steps that grind, separate and modify the components of the corn.
Alpha-amylase
Alpha-amylase is an enzyme used in the production of high fructose corn syrup. It is used to break down the glucose contained in the starch that was derived from the original corn kernels. Alpha-amylase causes long strands of glucose to be broken down into polysaccharides.
Glucoamylase
Glucoamylase is a second enzyme used in the production of high fructose corn syrup. Glucoamylase is responsible for converting the mixture in the early stages into glucose.
Mercury
This ingredient isn't found in all high fructose corn syrup. According to the Washington Post, about half of all commercial high fructose corn syrup contains mercury. It enters the product through contamination during the manufacturing process in factories that use mercury cells in some of their machinery. One third of foods containing high fructose corn syrup have been found to contain mercury, especially those that are dairy products such as salad dressing.
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