How Is Fructose Processed?

The fructose molecule was discovered by French chemist, Augustin-Pierre Dubrunfaut, in 1847. Fructose is a naturally occurring simple sugar, found in varying quantities in all fruits and vegetables.
  1. Natural Fructose

    • Natural fructose levels are high in melons, berries, apples, grapes, green peppers, corn and honey. The natural fructose is stored along with glucose as a sucrose compound. Sucrose is digested in the stomach by a process of acid hydrolysis, the separate sugars are then absorbed into the blood stream via the small intestine.

    Synthetic Fructose

    • Fructose is synthetically manufactured from corn to produce an artificial sweetener with a lower calorie count than sugar. The corn is finely milled into cornstarch and processed to form a high-glucose corn syrup. The glucose reacts with enzymes and converts into fructose, which is crystallized and re-milled to produce a 98 percent pure crystalline fructose.

    Uses

    • Fructose has a longer shelf-life than sugar and is widely used in packaged products such as soft drinks, candy, cereal, flavored milk and yogurt.

    Fun Fact

    • Fructose in crystalline form is estimated to be 20 percent sweeter than standard table sugar.

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