Corn Syrup Facts

Corn syrup, a common sweetener, can be found in countless foods and drinks. It can also be found at the center of many health debates. Some experts allege the sweetener increases chances of obesity. Other medical professionals believe corn syrup and sugar have a similar effect on the human body. For people on both sides of the debate, corn syrup's prevalent use causes concern.

Features

• High-fructose corn syrup, the most prominent type of commercial corn syrup, originally comes from cornstarch. Two enzymes, alpha-amylase and gluco-amylase, break down the starch to make glucose. A third enzyme, glucose-isomerase, turns the glucose into a mixture that includes fructose. The resulting syrup has a honeylike thickness and is usually 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose.

History

• According to the American Chemical Society, high-fructose corn syrup entered the industrial market in the 1970s. Two researchers, Richard Marshall and Earl Kooi, developed the manufacturing process in 1957, discovering that they could alter glucose's molecular composition to make fructose. Later, in the mid-1960s and early 1970s, Japanese scientist Yoshiyuki Takasaki and Osamu Tanabe further developed and improved the manufacturing process. By the mid-1970s, corn syrup had begun to replace sugar as a sweetener in many products. Partly because of the federal government's corn subsidies, it became cheaper to make, and its prominence grew.

Use

• Food manufacturers use corn syrup as a thickener or sweetener or to preserve food's moisture. It can also add volume or flavor to products. The soft-drink industry embraced corn syrup early on, and fruit-juice manufacturers, industrial-scale bakeries and condiment manufacturers soon followed suit. Many products on fast-food menus contain high-fructose corn syrup. The best-known retail manufacturer of the sweetener is Karo. Karo Syrup is often used in common homemade desserts, such as brownies or candies, and it can even be used as pancake syrup.

Controversy

• The prevalent use of high-fructose corn syrup coincided with a general rise in obesity in the United States. A continuing debate pits opponents and proponents of the sweetener against each other. Some people assume the fact that corn syrup comes from corn and contains fructose, a sugar associated with fruits, makes it more "natural" than other sugars. Proponents of corn syrup claim that, although it may not be healthier than other sweeteners, it affects the body in the same way as cane or beet sugar does. However, the intense processing cornstarch goes through to become corn syrup is far from natural. Opponents of the syrup see it as an artificial sweetener and claim that the body metabolizes it differently than natural sugar. Others simply state that the cheap cost of corn syrup encourages overconsumption.

Considerations

• Regardless of whether you view high-fructose corn sugar as being less healthy than other sugars, its appearance in many unhealthy products cannot be ignored. It is often used in highly processed, cheaply made and unnaturally preserved foods. Concerned eaters should avoid such foods whenever possible. However, using corn syrup becomes less risky in the safety of your own kitchen, where you can decide how much to use and when to use it.