How is Glucose Syrup Made?

Glucose syrup, the clear, sticky liquid you might add to whatever you’re baking, is actually a fascinating ingredient with a riveting production journey.

Glucose syrup is derived from starch, corn, and rice, and it usually goes through multiple stages in order to be manufactured. These stages involve mixing the starches with water and then treating them with enzymes to speed up the breaking down process of long chains of starch into smaller sugar units.

What is Glucose Syrup?

Glucose syrup, or as some others refer to it, confectioner’s glucose, is a concentrated sugar solution that involves a hydrolysis process of corn, wheat, or potato starch in order to obtain a syrup used in various industries such as food and beverages, pharmaceutical, and industrial and fermentation uses.

Why is Glucose Syrup Important?

There are various reasons why glucose syrup is considered a valuable ingredient; some even believe consuming glucose syrup is relatively better than consuming plain white sugar. Here’s why glucose syrup is regarded as a valuable ingredient:

Glucose syrup prevents sugar from crystallizing; therefore, candies and other sweets end up having a creamy and smooth texture.
Glucose syrup helps keep baked goods moist and fresh for longer.
Glucose syrup improves ice cream quality and makes it less icy so it can have a better taste.

Glucose Syrup, Corn Syrup, or High-Fructose Corn Syrup?

Glucose syrup is often mistaken for other sweeteners like corn or high-fructose corn syrup. However many similarities may be, these sweeteners have distinctive differences. The most obvious difference is that corn syrup is derived from corn starch, while glucose syrup can be made from various starches, such as wheat, rice, and potatoes.

HFCS, on the other hand, has a different process than the other two sweeteners. To make high-fructose corn syrup, it undergoes an enzymatic process to convert some of its glucose into fructose. This process actually enhances the sweetness of HFCS and makes it relatively sweeter than glucose syrup.

	Glucose Syrup	Corn Syrup	High-Fructose Corn Syrup
Source	Various starches (corn, wheat, rice, potatoes, cassava)	Exclusively from corn starch	Corn syrup that has undergone an enzymatic process to turn glucose into fructose
Composition	Primarily glucose, with varying Dextrose Equivalent (DE) values	Mainly glucose, but retains longer chains of sugars (maltose and oligosaccharides)	Contains a mix of glucose and fructose (e.g., HFCS-55 has ~55% fructose, 45% glucose)
Sweetness	Less sweet than table sugar	Mild sweetness	Sweeter than both glucose syrup and corn syrup, often approaching or exceeding sucrose
Primary Uses	– Confectionery – Bakery products – Industrial food processing for texture – Moisture retention – Preventing crystallization	– Candy – Sauces – Processed foods for consistency and mild sweetness	– Soft drinks – Flavored syrups – Processed foods as a cost-effective sugar alternative
Processing	Enzymatic or acid hydrolysis of starch, followed by purification	Made in a process of breaking down corn starch into glucose using enzymes or acids	Further enzymatic conversion of corn syrup to increase fructose content, making it sweeter

Industrial Production Process of Glucose Syrup: How is it Made?

According to Eufic, maize and wheat are the two most common raw materials used in starch production, each accounting for about 35%.

Glucose syrup, a by-product produced during the hydrolysis of starch, has a couple of essential production steps. Notably, the glucose percentage used in the glucose syrup determines where it can be used. For example, if the glucose used in the glucose syrup is between 10 and 43 percent, there is a high possibility it’s used in confectionary and baked goods.

The industrial production of glucose syrup is a multiple-step process, beginning with mixing the ingredients and ending with evaporation to increase the solid concentration.

Step 1: Starch Preparation

The first step of the industrial production process of glucose syrup involves mixing whichever starch is chosen with water (normally between 20℃~30℃) in mixing tanks to acquire a paste-like slurry. It is advised to use soft water to ensure the impurities like Ca2+ are reduced.

Step 2: Starch Gelatinization

The slurry then goes through a jet cooking process, in which the temperature changes to 110℃ to help the starch granules absorb water quickly and form a more even, transparent paste liquid. This process is also known as “gelatinization”.

Step 3: Enzymatic Hydrolysis

Hydrolysis is done by either enzymes, acid, or a combination of both. However, it’s best to use enzymatic hydrolysis, and it’s vital to be careful in the enzymatic liquefaction process as it can impact the saccharification stage.
Performed at 105-110°C, pH 5-6, the preferred enzyme, generally α-Amylase (High-temp enzyme), is added to the mix to convert starch into dextrin. Enzyme modification is believed to have an impressive effect on the yield and quality of the glucose syrup. To complete the liquefaction process, the slurry goes through a direct heating process, cooling at 95° C and holding at the same temperature for 1-2 hours. The liquefied starch that now has a DE below 30 and is considered a stable dextrin solution is cooled, and its pH levels are adjusted.

Step 4: Converting Dextrin Into Glucose

Saccharification, known as a process that converts dextrin into glucose, is a key step in achieving glucose syrup by determining the DE value of the final product. The saccharification step is carried out as a batch reaction by adding Glucoamylase enzyme to break dextrin into glucose. The time in which the dextrin convert into glucose can be between 15-75 hours, varying based on the range of dextrin solution content, enzyme dosage, and the weight of starch.

When these conditions are met, the final product can have a purity of more than 98%.

Step 5: Glucose Syrup Purification

This step is crucial in ensuring the final product is pure and clear. This process, also called decolorization, is done to remove any existing impurities, which are mostly colored organic impurities. For this purpose, glucose syrup is exposed to an activated carbon treatment. These powdered activated carbons have the strong ability to absorb organic impurities. Later on, filter press machines are used to finish the decolorization process while removing the activated carbons.

Step 6: Ion Exchange

After ensuring the glucose syrup is free of organic impurities with the help of activated carbon treatment, the glucose syrup undergoes an ion-exchange filtration. In the last step, many of the organic impurities are removed. However, there are still some inorganic impurities that remain dissolved in the water. These impurities are actually in the form of cations and anions and need to be removed. For this purpose, the syrup is transferred to exchange columns, where the cations and anions are attracted to the resin, ensuring a high-quality product.

Step 7: Concentration & Evaporation

Now that most of the impurities in the glucose syrup have been removed, this last step ensures that the water is removed to achieve the desired viscosity. For this purpose, glucose syrup is heated under vacuum conditions, typically in three-effect evaporators, to reach the preferred viscosity and density by evaporating the excess water.

Various Types of Glucose Syrup in the Industry

The kinds of glucose syrups are usually differentiated by the primary starch source used and their DE level. Each main starch source has a different composition with different properties and is used in all kinds of recipes.

Based on the primary source of starch used, we have:

Wheat Glucose Syrup: With a malty flavor, wheat glucose syrup adds a unique flavor to anything it is added to while encouraging moisture.
Potato Glucose Syrup: Potato glucose syrup has less sweetness than other glucose syrups with different starch sources and will resist crystallization. With its thick texture, it’s commonly used in savory foods like soups.
Rice Glucose Syrup: Rice used in making glucose syrup makes the syrup super glassy, which is perfect for frosting, icing, and glazing on top of foods.

Based on the DE level of glucose syrups used in the industry, we have:

Low-Maltose Glucose Syrup ⇒ Mainly used as a thickener and in the production of ice cream.
High-Maltose Glucose Syrup ⇒ Mainly used in brewing and candy production.
High-Glucose Syrup (DE 95-98) ⇒ Mostly used in pharmaceuticals and fermentation.
Glucose-Fructose Syrup ⇒ Sometimes used as an alternative to HFCS in beverages.

Industrial Applications of Glucose Syrup

Glucose syrup, a clear, viscous, and colorless liquid, has many properties and characteristics that make it a unique option for many end products. Because of its unique characteristics, glucose syrup finds use in many industries, such as:

Food and Beverages: The modern food technology industry employs glucose syrup to control crystallization, add a hint of sweetness to various foods, and give the foods a better texture and bodily appearance. These foods include jams, jellies, etc.
Pharmaceuticals: In the pharmaceutical industry, glucose syrup is mainly used in cough syrups and vitamin-based tonics. The reason for using glucose syrup in pharmaceuticals is due to acting as a granulating agent and tablet coater.
Confectionary: Sweet treats are favored by almost everyone. Sweets, candies, gums, lollipops, and other sweet treats are common examples of sweet foods made in the confectionary world. Glucose syrup is used as a primary sweetener in these foods due to the nature of it being liquid that offers better flavor, texture, taste, and longer shelf life.
Baked Goods: Glucose syrup is used in the production of baked goods, acting as a fermenter with yeast to raise certain types of baked goods. Ultimately, glucose syrup gives these baked goods a firmer and chewier texture while enhancing their shelf life.

Pro Tips for Using Glucose Syrup

Whether you are a confectionary manufacturer, a beverage formulator, or use glucose syrup in the pharmaceutical sector, you must know how to employ glucose syrup properly in your production to improve product quality and enhance production efficiency. That’s why we are going to provide some pro tips for properly and efficiently using glucose syrup:

1. Choose the Right DE Value

Because there is a direct correlation between the dextrose equivalent value and glucose syrup’s sweetness and fermentability, it is advised to measure the DE value properly and match it to your product’s functional requirements for optimized result.

Low DE (<40)	Offers less sweetness and a higher viscosity, perfect to use in sauces and ice cream as a thickener and enhancing baked goods’ texture quality.
Medium DE (40–60)	Offers a balanced sweetness and texture to your product based on your need, often used in processed foods and candies because of its balanced level of sugar and texture.
High DE (>60)	Offers a high sweetness and low viscosity to your product, well-suited to use in various types of beverages and pharmaceutical syrups.

2. Use Controlled Heating

There are precautions to incorporating glucose syrup in industrial production. One of those precautions is using controlled heating, like gradually heating to 50–60°C to reach a much smoother flow and solubility. Overheating, above 120°C for instance, can lead to caramelization or degradation, especially if the syrup you have chosen is high in DE value.

Pro Tip: Pre warming glucose syrup before using and mixing it into dry ingredients can reduce the processing time by a lot and result in a much better consistency.

3. Monitor Water Activity in Baked Goods

Due to the hygroscopic nature of glucose syrup, it can attract a lot of moisture, sometimes even excess moisture. Even though this level of moisture can maintain softness in baked goods and save them from stalling quick, it can also provide a perfect condition for microbial growth and texture changes.

Pro Tip: In order to prevent this from happening, we advise you to use glucose syrup in formulations that are suitable for preserving the baked goods for longer shelf-life, especially in moist cakes.

Yasmin Trading: Your Trusted Partner in Glucose Syrup Production

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Want to learn more about what we offer? Check out Yasmin Trading’s glucose production line solutions.

Conclusion: How Valuable and Versatile is Glucose Syrup

Glucose syrup is more than just a sweetener. With a complex production process, it’s considered an essential ingredient used in many industries.
In this article, we discussed what glucose syrup is, how it’s made, what types of glucose syrups we have in the industry, and what industries use this versatile, multifunctional syrup.
There are key advantages to glucose syrup, making it a valuable ingredient. It prevents crystallization, enhances texture, and improves the shelf life of various products. Additionally, it’s not just the food-related industries that use glucose syrup. It can also act as a binder in pharmaceutical formulations.

Food science continues to grow, and still, glucose syrup remains a crucial and valuable component in the modern production of various end products. The starch hydrolysis and enzymatic processing that make the glucose syrup what it is enhance both the taste and functionality of whatever it is used in.
From confectionary to pharmaceuticals, glucose syrup has proven to be a key player in the global market, showing off how it can extend its role beyond just sweetness. That’s what makes glucose syrup an option industries can’t say no to!

FAQs

1- Is glucose syrup the same as corn syrup?
No, glucose syrup and corn syrup are not necessarily the same, even though they are sometimes used interchangeably. Glucose syrup is a term referring to a broader category that is any syrup made from starch hydrolysis. It can come from a variety of starch options, such as corn, potato, wheat, rice, or cassava. So, corn syrup is glucose syrup, but not every glucose syrup is corn syrup. That being mentioned, every type of glucose syrup is used in various industries to sweeten, enhance texture, and prevent them from crystallization.

2- Is glucose syrup healthier than high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)?
Glucose syrup and high-fructose corn syrup serve different purposes and are used for various reasons. However, high-fructose corn syrup is believed to cause health concerns mainly due to its high fructose content. Consuming large amounts of high fructose is linked to metabolic disorders and obesity. Glucose syrup, on the other hand, contains primarily glucose, which is less sweet and, therefore, metabolized differently. Both glucose syrup and high-fructose corn syrup are processed sweeteners and must be consumed in moderation.

3- What is the best starch source for glucose syrup production?
Choosing the best starch source for glucose syrup production depends on many factors, such as availability, the desired syrup characteristics you’re looking for, and processing efficiency. In general, the best treatment in glucose syrup production based on studies indicated that an 82 35% raw material of starch level is optimal. While corn starch is the most common choice in the US for glucose syrup production due to its high starch content and cost-effectiveness, wheat starch is a more common alternative in Europe.
Rice starch and cassava/potato starch are also two common choices for producing glucose syrup because they are abundant.