Syrup made from corn used as food additive
Corn syrup
is a food
syrup
which is made from the
starch
of corn/
maize
and contains varying amounts of sugars:
glucose
,
maltose
and higher
oligosaccharides
, depending on the grade. Corn syrup is used in foods to soften
texture
, add volume, prevent
crystallization
of sugar, and enhance flavor. It can be processed into
high-fructose corn syrup
(HFCS) by using the enzyme
D-xylose isomerase
to convert a large proportion of its glucose into sweeter
fructose
.
The more general term
glucose syrup
is often used synonymously with corn syrup, since glucose syrup in the United States is most commonly made from
corn starch
.
[1]
[2]
Technically, glucose syrup is any liquid starch
hydrolysate
of mono-, di-, and higher-
saccharides
and can be made from any source of starch: wheat,
tapioca
and potatoes are the most common other sources.
[3]
[4]
[5]
Commercial preparation
[
edit
]
Historically, corn syrup was produced by combining corn starch with dilute
hydrochloric acid
, and then heating the mixture under pressure. The process was invented by the German chemist
Gottlieb Kirchhoff
in 1811. Currently, corn syrup is obtained through a multi-step
bioprocess
. First, the
enzyme
α-
amylase
is added to a mixture of corn starch and water. α-amylase is secreted by various species of the
bacterium
genus
Bacillus
and the enzyme is isolated from the liquid in which the bacteria were grown. The enzyme breaks down the starch into
oligosaccharides
, which are then broken into glucose molecules by adding the enzyme
glucoamylase
, known also as "γ-amylase". Glucoamylase is secreted by various species of the
fungus
Aspergillus
; the enzyme is isolated from the liquid in which the fungus is grown. The glucose can then be transformed into fructose by passing the glucose through a column that is loaded with the enzyme
D-xylose isomerase
, an enzyme that is isolated from the growth medium of any of several bacteria.
[6]
Corn syrup is produced from number 2 yellow dent corn.
[7]
When
wet milled
, about 2.3 litres of corn are required to yield an average of 947g of starch, to produce 1 kg of glucose syrup. A
bushel
(25 kg) of corn will yield an average of 31.5 pounds (14.3 kg) of starch, which in turn will yield about 33.3 pounds (15.1 kg) of syrup. Thus, it takes about 2,300 litres of corn to produce a
tonne
of glucose syrup, or 60 bushels (1524 kg) of corn to produce one
short ton
.
[8]
[9]
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). Most commercially available corn syrups are approximately 1/3 glucose by weight.
[
citation needed
]
Two common commercial corn syrup products are light and dark corn syrup.
[10]
- Light corn syrup
is corn syrup seasoned with
vanilla
flavor and salt. It is a nearly clear color.
- Dark corn syrup
is a combination of corn syrup and
refiner's syrup
, caramel color and flavor, salt, and the preservative sodium benzoate. Its color is dark brown.
Uses
[
edit
]
Wikibooks
Cookbook
has a recipe/module on
Major uses of corn syrup in commercially prepared foods are as a thickener, a sweetener, and a
humectant
(an ingredient that retains moisture and thus maintains a food's freshness).
[11]
The primary ingredient in most brands of commercial "
pancake syrup
" is either regular corn syrup or high-fructose corn syrup, both of which are less expensive than
maple syrup
.
[12]
In the United States,
tariff-rate quotas
for
cane sugar
imports raise sugar prices;
[13]
hence, domestically produced corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup are less costly alternatives that are often used in American-made processed and mass-produced foods, candies, soft drinks, and fruit drinks.
[11]
Glucose syrup
was the primary corn sweetener in the United States prior to the expanded use of
high fructose corn syrup
production in 1964.
[14]
HFCS is a variant in which other enzymes are used to convert some of the glucose into fructose.
[15]
The resulting syrup is sweeter and more soluble.
[
citation needed
]
If mixed with
sugar
,
water
, and
cream of tartar
, corn syrup can be used to make
sugar glass
.
[16]
History
[
edit
]
Corn syrup was available at
grocery stores
in the 19th century, as a
generic product
sold from a barrel.
[17]
In 1902, the
Corn Products Refining Company
introduced clear,
bottled
corn syrup under the brand name of
Karo Syrup
.
[17]
In 1910, the company launched one of the largest
advertising campaigns
ever seen. This included full-page
advertisements
in
women's magazines
and free
cookbooks
full of
recipes
that called for Karo brand corn syrup.
[17]
In the 1930s, they promoted a new
pecan pie
recipe that featured corn syrup, followed by a similar, nut-free
chess pie
recipe, in a bid to drive sales.
[17]
Later, they promoted it as an alternative to
maple syrup
for
waffles
.
[17]
As cooking in the home declined in the 21st century, so that fewer people made
candies
or
pies
at home, commercial sales of Karo tended to dominate over the retail sales.
[17]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Structure of the world starch market, European Commission - Directorate Agricultural and Rural development, Evaluation of the Community Policy for Starch and Starch Products, Final report 2002, Chapter 1, page 3
[1]
- ^
"Sugar Association Alternative Carbohydrate Sweeteners"
. Archived from
the original
on 23 September 2006.
- ^
Wheat starch, Application, International Starch Institute Denmark
- ^
Global casave outlook; Guy Henry, Andrew Westby; 2007; page 600
Archived
5 April 2012 at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
"International Starch Association Starch and Glucose Glossary"
. Archived from
the original
on 16 July 2002.
- ^
Martin Chaplin and Christopher Bucke,
Enzyme Technology
(Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1990), pages 146-154. Available on-line at:
London South Bank University: Enzyme Technology
. See "Chapter 4: The large-scale use of enzymes in solution", sections:
- ^
"Dent corn" (
Zea mays var. indentata
) is so called because the tops of its kernels are slightly indented. See
Merriam-Webster dictionary
.
- ^
"Enzymatic starch hydrolysis: background"
. Archived from
the original
on 4 October 2008.
- ^
Trends in U.S. production and use of glucose syrup and dextrose, 1965-1990, and prospects for the future - U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Economic Research Service report
[2]
- ^
"Karo Syrup - FAQ"
.
Karo
. ACH Food Companies, Inc. Archived from
the original
on 11 May 2015
. Retrieved
15 May
2015
.
- ^
a
b
Knehr, Elaine.
"Carbohydrate Sweeteners"
.
Food Product Design
. Virgo Publishing. Archived from
the original
on 2 January 2013
. Retrieved
17 October
2008
.
- ^
"5 Things You Need to Know About Maple Syrup"
. Retrieved
29 September
2016
.
- ^
"U.S. Sugar Import Program"
. USDA. Archived from
the original
on 22 March 2009
. Retrieved
21 March
2009
.
- ^
Fructose, high fructose corn syrup, sucrose and health
. James M. Rippe. New York. 2014.
ISBN
978-1-4899-8077-9
.
OCLC
876051670
.
{{
cite book
}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
link
) CS1 maint: others (
link
)
- ^
Hobbs, Larry (2009). "Starch: Chemistry and Technology". In BeMiller, James; Whistler, Roy (eds.).
Sweeteners from Starch: Production, Properties and Uses
(PDF)
(3rd ed.). Elsevier Inc. pp. 808?813.
ISBN
978-0-12-746275-2
. Retrieved
5 December
2019
.
- ^
States, National Confectioners' Association of the United (1956).
Annual Report - National Confectioners' Association of the United States
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
Weinstein, Jay (2007).
"Karo Syrup"
. In Smith, Andrew F. (ed.).
The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink
. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 339.
ISBN
978-0-19-530796-2
.
OCLC
71833329
.
External links
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Varieties
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Parts
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Processing
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Pathology
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Production
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Culture
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Maize dishes
| Ingredients
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Soups, stews,
and porridge
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Tamales
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Breads and cakes
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Fried dishes
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Other foods
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Beverages
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Chemistry
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Sources
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Solid forms
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Other forms
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