Fructose-glucose syrup is a liquid sweetener derived from vegetable starches, such as corn, wheat, potatoes, or rice, containing both fructose and glucose in varying proportions.

Raw materials used in production. 

• The primary raw materials are vegetable starches, often derived from corn, which undergo an acid or enzymatic hydrolysis process to break down the long carbohydrate chains into simpler sugars like glucose and fructose.

Step-by-step summary of industrial production process.

• Starch Extraction. Starch is extracted from the plant-based raw material, such as corn.
• Liquefaction. The extracted starch is liquefied under heat and pressure.
• Hydrolysis. The liquefied starch is then hydrolyzed, using acids or enzymes, to break down polysaccharide chains into simple sugars.
• Isomerization. Produced glucose can be converted into fructose through the use of enzymes.
• Refinement. The syrup is then refined to remove impurities and undesired colors.
• Concentration. The syrup is concentrated to achieve the desired sweetness and viscosity.

Form and color. 

This sweetener typically presents as a viscous, colorless, or slightly amber liquid.

Commercial applications. 

Fructose-glucose syrup is widely used in processed foods, beverages, sweets, baked goods, jams, and many other products for its sweetness, texture enhancement, and ability to prolong the shelf life of foods.

Food Sweeteners. This syrup is widely used as a sweetener in numerous beverages and food items due to its high sweetening power and its ability to enhance texture.

Food Preservation. Adding fructose-glucose syrup can extend the shelf life of certain foods by maintaining moisture and softness.

Beverage Production. Often found in soft drinks, juices, and other beverages to provide sweetness and improve consistency.

Baked Goods. Used in baked products for sweetening and to assist in moisture retention, ensuring products remain soft and fresh longer.

Ice Creams and Sweets. Contributes to the sweetness and creamy texture of ice creams and other confectionery items.

Safety

The glucose syrup is a composite solution that brings together many sugars such as glucose, maltose and many others. It is derived from corn starch.

Fructose Syrup is a sweetener that is used in the food field as a substitute for sugar. It is derived from corn starch. It has some positive qualities, such as faster digestibility than sugar or glucose, and is absorbed by the liver without needing to activate insulin delivery. However, amounts of fructose that exceed 50 grams per day can increase the fat in our body and produce an increase in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, thus with potential health risks (1).

It is absorbed by the intestine and synthesizes glucose in the liver without taking insulin. For these characteristics it is used instead of sugar. However, many studies have confirmed that if the amount exceeds 50 grams per day (and this is also true for HFCS), there may be cases of obesity and diabetes and cardiovascular problems due to increased triglycerides (2 ).

In addition, free sugars are the most important dietary cause for dental caries. Consumed in drinks, fructose is as likely to cause caries like all other sugars. In this study, the content of sugars in juices, fruit juice drinks, and fruit juices (FJJDS) marketed for children was examined. The sugars content in FJJDS marketed to children in the UK is unacceptably high. Manufacturers must stop adding unnecessary sugars and calories to their FJJDS (3).

The combining glucose + fructose can be even more not recommended:

48 healthy people of normal weight and age between 25 and 47 years were administered daily, 75 grams of glucose equal to 300 calories, 33 grams of cream equal to 300 calories and orange juice equal to 300 calories. At the end of the study, orange juice had not produced any change in inflammatory indexes, while glucose had increased some indexes and cream had increased all of them (4).

References_______________________________________________________________________

(1) Bray GA.  Potential health risks from beverages containing fructose found in sugar or high-fructose corn syrup.  Diabetes Care. 2013 Jan;36(1):11-2. doi: 10.2337/dc12-1631. No abstract available.

(2) Stanhope KL, Bremer AA, Medici V, Nakajima K, Ito Y, Nakano T, Chen G, Fong TH, Lee V, Menorca RI, Keim NL, Havel PJ. Consumption of fructose and high fructose corn syrup increase postprandial triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol, and apolipoprotein-B in young men and women.  J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011 Oct;96(10):E1596-605. doi: 10.1210/jc.2011-1251. 

(3) Boulton J, Hashem KM, Jenner KH, Lloyd-Williams F, Bromley H, Capewell S. How much sugar is hidden in drinks marketed to children? A survey of fruit juices, juice drinks and smoothies.  BMJ Open. 2016 Mar 23;6(3):e010330. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010330.

(4) Deopurkar R, Ghanim H, Friedman J, Abuaysheh S, Sia CL, Mohanty P, Viswanathan P, Chaudhuri A, Dandona P. Differential effects of cream, glucose, and orange juice on inflammation, endotoxin, and the expression of Toll-like receptor-4 and suppressor of cytokine signaling-3  Diabetes Care. 2010 May