Corn Syrup vs High Fructose Corn Syrup
As corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup are two food additives used commonly in many recipes nowadays, it is necessary to know the difference between corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup before substituting one for the other. Syrup is one kind of such food additives. Corn syrup as the name imposes is made from corn starch. Corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup are mainly used in food as sweeteners and to maintain the texture. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is very commonly used in US as a sweetener in food products. A research in US has found that consumption of high-fructose corn syrup (HCFS) will lead to weight gain. This has added voice to the health conscious consumers in US, who are already critical about the excess usage of food additives in food products.
What is Corn Syrup?
Corn syrup is a food additive made from corn starch and composed mainly with glucose. This syrup is used in foods for many purposes like: to enhance the flavour of the food, soften the texture and prevent crystallization of sugar in food. In general, the glucose syrup is called corn syrup as the main ingredient in the syrup is corn starch. The corn syrup is produced from yellow dent corn which is wet milled and made into starch. Then to the starch, water mix α-amylase is added. Amylase is an enzyme that breaks starch down into glucose.
What is High Fructose Corn Syrup?
The preparation of high fructose corn syrup is simple, after corn syrup has been made, any of the groups of corn syrups shall pass through enzymatic procedure to convert some of the glucose into fructose. Fructose is a bit sweeter. High fructose corn syrup has become a supplement of sugar and is being commonly used in food products. A variety of high fructose corn syrup is mostly used in the manufacturing process of soft drinks. HFCS has replaced sucrose in the U.S.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in 1976, recognized HFCS as safe as other sugar products. Some of the people argue that this processed substance is more harmful than regular sugar. The recent Princeton University research outcome has added voice to this argument more.
What is the difference between Corn Syrup and High Fructose Corn Syrup?
Though the names may misguide people to think that there is no difference between these two products and can be used as substitutes, there is a very minor but critical difference between corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup.
• Simple corn syrup is just made by hydrolyzing corn starch whereas high fructose corn syrup is made from the enzymatic action on a group of corn syrup. This means that high fructose corn syrup is a dependable product of corn syrup.
• Corn syrup is a food additive that is used for many purposes: to enhance the taste, texture, and flavour. High fructose corn syrups are commonly used as sweeteners in food products. However, it is believed that high fructose corn syrup can increase obesity in the human body.
It can be said that, despite the criticism against the usage of high fructose corn syrup in food products, it is still being used in beverage items in most parts of the world. This may be a reason people increase weight after a regular soft drink in their life.