Glucose syrup

Description

Glucose syrup is used in countless food products and beverages. It is the most significant product of saccharification. Plant starch is a polysaccharide that is comprised of units of glucose. Glucose is the chemical term for "grape sugar" (and also is known as dextrose).

• In saccarification, starch is split into its building blocks of sugar. Previously, acids were used to effect this change that currently is conducted most often with the use of enzymes. Significant sources of raw material for saccharification is corn starch. In Europe, starch from potatoes and wheat also is important.
• In a further process (isomerisation), glucose can be converted almost entirely into fructose. The syrup that is produced in this manner is known as "high-fructose glucose syrup" and is a more powerful sweetener. In the USA, this fructose syrup (High Fructose Corn Sirup) is manufactured exclusively from corn starch. In the USA, such corn syrup has supplanted traditional sugar in almost entirely in many areas, such as in lemonades and energy beverages.

Application

The ingredient glucose syrup is offered in a multitude of varieties which vary with respect to sweetening power and technological properties (viscosity, consistence). Glucose syrup has physical qualities that differ from those of sugar and is not as susceptible to crystallisation.

In many food products, glucose syrup has replaced sugar entirely or partially. Such products include:

• all sorts ofconfectionery and baked goods, caramels, gummi bears, gingerbread, pralinés and marzipan
• marmelade, fruit spreads, desserts, ice cream
• lemonade and energy beverages
• conserves of fruit and vegetables, tomato ketchup
• in some areas of the world outside of Germany, glucose syrup may be used as a raw material in the manufacture of alcoholic beverages such as beer and cidre.
• glucose syrup also is used in frozen foods, since it forms a film which retards oxidation.

Gene technology

Glucose syrup is produced from starch. Applications of gene technology are possible in the case of plant-based starch sources and are primarily found in the manufacture of enzymes with which starch is broken down and modified.

• Raw material starch: maize or its derivative corn starch (known as "cornflour") may be composed to a certain degree of genetically modified maize, particularly when raw materials are imported from the USA or from Argentina. In the EU genetically modified maize is cultivated on a small scale, but is not used as a raw material for foodstuffs. This could change if GM maize would be cultivated on a larger scale. Ingredients from several types of GM maize have been approved in the EU.
  In the future also: starch frompotatoes orwheat.
  
• Enzymes break down starches in to their basic components and modifiy these. Thereby, a variety of ingredients and additives are obtained that display specific characteristics. Several of the enzymes that are used in this process are produced with the aid of genetically modified microorganisms and include amylases, glucose-isomerase and pullulanase (saccharification).

Labelling: Starch-based ingredients are subject to labelling if they have been produced directly from genetically modified plants such as maize.

Enzymes and the manner of their production generally are not indicated on the list of ingredients.