Production of High Fructose Corn Syrup

High fructose corn syrup is a low calories sweetener commonly used in beverages, desserts and other sweet foods.

To make high fructose syrups, corn starch is first separated from other corn by products by wet milling. The wet milling process begins with steeping clean corn in water from 30 to 35 hours at 117 to 127 °F to soften kernel. 

Steeped corn then is cracked by use of an attrition mill to separate the germ and release about one-half of the endosperm (prime starch fraction).

Next the starch is digested with mineral acid and amylose to form glucose. The enzyme glucose isomerase then used to covert glucose to fructose. With the biotechnological achievement of immobilization of the enzyme, shallow beds of the immobilized enzymes can convert glucose to fructose.

The process is called saccharification. Conditions for the saccharification are 55-60 °C, pH 4.0 -4.5 and a building time of 24 – 90 hours depending upon the amount of glucose amylase used and production scheduling.

A syrup containing 42% fructose, 52% unconverted dextrose and about 6% of oligosaccharides is the first product of this process.

Through chromatographic enrichment, 55 and 90% high fructose syrups can then be produced.
Production of High Fructose Corn Syrup