syrup’s viscosity is that it imparts a thick, chewy texture to foods And because it includes glucose, a water-binding sugar that is less sweet than table sugar, corn syrup helps prevent moisture loss and prolongs the storage life of various foods without the cloying sweetness that honey or sucrose syrup imparts Finally, all corn syrups are somewhat acid, with a pH between 3.5 and 5.5, so in baked goods they can react with baking soda to produce carbon dioxide and thus contribute to leavening Corn syrups Standard corn syrup is a water solution of glucose chains of varying lengths (left) One-and two-unit sugars taste sweet, while taste-free longer chains make the syrup viscous By controlling the relative populations of different chains, the manufacturer can tailor the syrup’s balance of sweetening and thickening powers Highfructose corn syrup (right) has been treated with an enzyme to convert a portion of the single glucose molecules (small hexagons) into fructose molecules (small pentagons), which taste sweeter Grades of Corn Syrup Corn syrup is an especially versatile ingredient in food manufacturing because its sweetness and viscosity can be varied simply by controlling the thoroughness of the enzymatic digestion of starch into sugars The most common consumer grade of corn syrup is about 20% water, 14% glucose, 11% maltose, and 55% longer glucose chains It is only moderately sweet, and fairly viscous Several others grades are available to manufacturers: Maltodextrins are syrups that contain less than 20% glucose plus maltose, and are used mainly to give viscosity and ... manufacturing because its sweetness and viscosity can be varied simply by controlling the thoroughness of the enzymatic digestion of starch into sugars The most common consumer grade of corn syrup is about 20%... portion of the single glucose molecules (small hexagons) into fructose molecules (small pentagons), which taste sweeter Grades of Corn Syrup Corn syrup is an especially versatile ingredient in food. ..populations of different chains, the manufacturer can tailor the syrup’s balance of sweetening and thickening powers Highfructose corn syrup (right) has been treated with an enzyme to convert