What is the difference between corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup?
One of the food additives that is commonly used in food is corn syrup. This is because it improves the taste, the texture and the flavor. It is called corn syrup because it is made from corn starch. Another type of syrup that is used is high fructose corn syrup. Both of these additives are sweet so they do add sweetness to the flavor of the food while still maintaining its texture.
High fructose corn syrup is the commonly used sweetener for food products in the United States. Research about this food additive known as HFCS has shown that consumption of too much of this can lead to weight gain. Those consumers in the US who are very conscious of their health have voiced concerns about this additive for this reason and the research confirms their concerns.
What is corn syrup?
The food additive commonly used in food products known as corn syrup is made from corn starch and has glucose as one of its main components. Its purpose in food is to enhance the flavor, to prevent the sugar from crystallizing and to give the food a softer texture. It comes from yellow dent corn that is milled wet and then processed into a fine white powder called starch. Water mixed with a-amylase, an enzyme that breaks starch into glucose, is then added to the milled starch.
What is high fructose corn syrup?
High fructose corn syrup is made from corn syrup. The syrup is passed through an enzymatic procedure that converts some of the glucose it contains to fructose, which is sweeter than glucose. This product is often used as a sugar supplement and it has become a staple as an additive in some food products. One variety of HFCS is used in the manufacture of soft drinks. In the US it has replaced sucrose as a food additive.
In 1976, it was recognized as being just as safe for human consumption as sugar by the US Food and Drug Administration. However, critics argue that it is more dangerous than sugar because of the potential for it to cause weight gain and this criticism has been proven true by the research carried out by Princeton University.
How corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup are different
In the names there is very little difference between these two products, but the difference lies in the way they are made. The process of making corn syrup involves hydrolyzing corn starch, but the process of making high fructose corn syrup involves using enzymatic procedures on the corn syrup to transform glucose into fructose. Thus high fructose corn syrup is highly dependent on corn syrup and greatly increases the chances of weight gain.
Summary
High fructose corn syrup is the most commonly found sweetener in food even though there is an outcry all over the world against its use because it can cause weight gain. It is one of the ingredients in soft drinks.