Jump to navigation Jump to search “HFCS” redirects here. As a sweetener, HFCS is often compared to granulated sugar, but manufacturing advantages of HFCS over sugar include that it agave syrup replacement easier to handle and cheaper. The United States Food and Drug Administration states that it is not aware of evidence showing that HFCS is less safe than traditional sweeteners such as sucrose and honey.

Uses and exports of HFCS from American producers have grown steadily during the early 21st century. Factors contributing to the rise of HFCS include production quotas of domestic sugar, import tariffs on foreign sugar, and subsidies of U. Because of its similar sugar profile and lower price, HFCS is often added to adulterate honey. Assays to detect adulteration with HFCS use differential scanning calorimetry and other advanced testing methods. In the contemporary process, corn is milled to extract corn starch and an “acid-enzyme” process is used, in which the corn-starch solution is acidified to begin breaking up the existing carbohydrates. High-temperature enzymes are added to further metabolize the starch and convert the resulting sugars to fructose.

Glucoamylase is mixed in and converts them to glucose. HFCS 55 is mostly used in soft drinks. HFCS has gained popularity due to rising prices of sucrose, while selling for a third the price. Production was estimated to reach 4,150,000 tonnes in 2017.