Title: Alternative Sweeteners

398 Buck
Table 4 Typical Characteristics of HFCS
42% HFCS 55% HFCS 95% HFCS
Saccharides
Fructose, % 42 55 80–95
Dextrose, % 52 41 4–19
Highers, % 6 4 1–3
Sweetness 1.0 1.0 1.2
Dry Solids, % 71 77 77
Moisture, % 29 23 23
Color, RBU 25 25 25
Ash, % 0.03 0.03 0.03
Viscosity (cps)
80°F 150 700 575
90°F 100 400 360
100°F 70 250 220
pH 3.5 3.5 3.5
Lb./gal. (20°C) 11.23 11.55 11.56
Fermentable solids, % 96 98 99–100
Flavor Sweet, bland Sweet, bland Sweet, bland
and expressed as a percentage of the total dry substance. HFCS is composed of
a high amount of reducing sugars. Because the DE of HFCS is so high, HFCS
is not characterized by DE but rather by the percent of fructose on a dry basis.
Measurement of reducing sugars is based on the reducing action of aldose sugars
on certain metallic salts (e.g., copper sulfate in Fehling’s solution). Fructose,
being a ketose sugar, is converted to an aldose under the alkaline conditions of the
tests and behaves as dextrose. The reducing characteristic is one that particularly
distinguishes HFCS from sucrose. Sucrose is not a reducing sugar and therefore
does not participate in reducing reactions such as nonenzymatic browning until
it has inverted into its constituent monosaccharides of fructose and dextrose.
pH for all products is low. Because these products are ion exchange refined,
they have little buffering capacity and the pH tends to drift down with time.
Because of the low buffering capacity and low acidity, HFCS has little effect on
the pH of foods. Lower pH favors color stability for reducing sugars.
The treatment with carbon in the production of HFCS yields products with
low color and flavor. Ion exchange treatment provides a product with extremely
low ash, which helps to maintain the color and flavor stability of HFCS by removing
color precursors and catalysts. Both treatments serve to reduce trace components
that may promote or otherwise catalyze color and flavor development. The