Corn syrup is a thick, sweet liquid made from cornstarch. Food-processing companies use it to sweeten baked goods, candies, canned fruits, ice cream, and soft drinks. It also flavors ketchup, peanut butter, salad dressings, processed meats, and many other foods. Corn syrup gives creams and candies a smooth texture. It also attracts and holds moisture, and so it helps prevent baked goods from becoming stale.
Manufacturers make corn syrup from a mixture of cornstarch and water. To this mixture they add a weak acid solution or certain enzymes (molecules that speed up chemical reactions). This converts the starch to sugar. The resulting corn syrup consists mainly of two sugars, glucose and maltose, in addition to a sticky substance called dextrin. To make a sweeter syrup, manufacturers add another enzyme, which changes some of the glucose in the syrup to a sweeter sugar called fructose. Further treatment of the syrup produces high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Many commercial food processors use HFCS because it costs less and is much sweeter, but not higher in calories, than other sweeteners.
See also Sugar (Cornstarch and other starches).
