In 2010, the Corn Refiners Association petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to change the name of high-fructose corn syrup to "corn sugar." HFCS has a bad reputation, having been linked to obesity and health issues. Standard corn syrup, though it contains no fructose, has also been affected by HFCS's controversy. Luckily for corn syrup manufacturers, a synonymous term already exists: "glucose syrup."
Glucose and Corn Syrup
Glucose syrup is a sweetener made from starchy foods, including corn. In fact, the term "corn syrup" is used to describe many different sweetener formulations, all of which contain glucose at varying levels. The term "glucose syrup" is also used to describe corn syrup on ingredient lists. However, glucose syrup can be made out of any starchy food. In America, it's primarily made from corn because corn is cheap, widely grown and high in starch.
Manufacturing Process
To make glucose syrup, manufacturers cook starchy foods and apply acid or enzymes, which cause the starch to hydrolyze into glucose and other substances. The resulting mixture is measured by its dextrose equivalent or sweetness. Dextrose is another name for glucose. The hydrolyzed starch is processed until it reaches a level of 40 to 42 DE, which tastes sweet but does not crystallize. That liquid is then evaporated until it reaches a viscous, syrupy consistency that ships and stores well, with a bland sweetness that can be used in a wide variety of products.
Uses
Glucose syrup is sweet, but not as sweet as table sugar. It's used as a sweetener in everything from soda to applesauce, but it has additional uses that are not as well known. Corn syrup's viscosity helps products like salad dressings and condiments maintain their texture, and aids ingredient mixing in lunch meats and hot dogs. It helps keep ice cream from crystallizing when it freezes, and maintains moisture in preserves so they don't go stale. Glucose syrup is added to bread products to improve color and texture, and also helps increase fermentation in low calorie beers. It even has a role in medicine, where it is used to produce vitamins C and E as well as penicillin and other antibiotics.
Controversy
In the early 2000s, public opinion began to turn against corn syrup, in particular high-fructose corn syrup. Scientists speculated that overuse of this sweetener may be related to America's obesity epidemic. This led to many soda companies and condiment manufacturers releasing new lines of products made with "real" sugar. Consumption of HFCS dropped, and in 2010, glucose use in food and beverages was down to levels not seen since 1991.
While high-fructose corn syrup is related to glucose syrup, they are not the same: Glucose syrup does not contain fructose, another type of sugar that may be more directly linked to obesity. Nonetheless, the term "corn syrup" is linked with unhealthiness in the minds of consumers. Synonyms like "glucose syrup" are likely to start showing up in its place.
References
- "The New York Times"; A New Name for High-Fructose Corn Syrup; Tara Parker-Pope; September 2010
- Sugar.org: Other Caloric Sweeteners
- International Starch Institute: Technical Memorandum on Starch Sweetener Syrups
- Corn Refiners Association: Sweeteners
- "Slate"; Dark Sugar: The Decline and Fall of High-Fructose Corn Syrup; Daniel Engber; April 2009
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Economic Research Service; U.S. Glucose Supply and Use, by Calendar Year; 1964-2010
