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