Definition:

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SWEETEST®Corn syrup solid Health Benefits:

SWEETEST®Corn syrup solid is a powdered or crystalline product made by dehydrating and drying liquid corn syrup. Its main components are glucose, maltose, oligosaccharides and minor polysaccharides, and common variants include high-glucose and high-maltose types. Compared to liquid corn syrup, the solid form resolves issues such as high transportation costs, susceptibility to spoilage and the inconvenience of measuring liquid products, while retaining the core functionality of liquid corn syrup. It has a wide range of applications in sectors including food and health supplements.

■ Source

The raw material for SWEETEST®Corn syrup solid is maize, which contains abundant starch (approximately 60%-70%) serving as the core substance for corn syrup production. High-quality maize varieties (such as dent corn or flint corn) are selected as feedstock, requiring high starch content and minimal impurities to ensure the purity and quality of the subsequent product. Following cleaning to remove impurities (such as soil, stones, and weed seeds), the maize undergoes wet milling to separate and extract the germ (which can be used for corn oil production). The remaining endosperm is ground and screened to produce corn starch slurry. This slurry then undergoes centrifugal separation, washing, and drying to yield high-purity corn starch, which serves as the direct raw material for corn syrup production.

Particularities of SWEETEST®Corn syrup solid:

Product Specifications:

SWEETEST®Corn syrup solid is available in the following specification and contents:

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☑ SWEETEST®Corn syrup solid powder DE 20-30%

Product quality standards:

● GB15203, Food grade, In-house

▶ Rapid energy replenishment

▶ Enhancing food processing

SWEETEST®Corn syrup solid Applications:

The primary application area for SWEETEST®Corn syrup solid is food, spanning multiple categories including baked goods, confectionery, and dairy products. Its core functions include optimising product texture, extending shelf life and providing controlled energy content. It also facilitates formulation upgrades that align with reduced-sugar trends. In baked goods, it delivers excellent moisture retention and anti-staling properties, delaying moisture loss to prevent hardening and extend shelf life. As a reducing sugar, it participates in the Maillard reaction, aiding the formation of an even, golden colour and rich, baked flavour profile. This reduces the need for artificial colourings and flavourings. Its mild sweetness enables it to be blended with sucrose, reducing the overall cloying sweetness while enhancing dough extensibility and the softness of the finished product. In confectionery and chocolate products, it prevents 'sugar bloom' (crystal formation on hard candy surfaces) during storage, maintaining a uniform texture. Its moderate viscosity enables the hardness and chewiness of candies to be adjusted. In dairy products, it blends harmoniously with milk fat flavours without masking the natural creaminess, and its gentle sweetness improves the balance of acidity and sweetness. In ice cream, it inhibits ice crystal growth to enhance smoothness and maintain stability at low temperatures, preventing hardening after freezing. When added in appropriate quantities, it promotes probiotic growth during yoghurt fermentation while extending shelf life. In beverage applications, it dissolves rapidly to yield clear solutions that do not affect the colour of the product. It provides a quick energy boost, making it ideal for sports drinks, while offering a slower glycaemic response than pure glucose.

The rapid energy-supplying properties and morphological advantages of solid corn syrup render it a vital excipient in dietary supplements, particularly suited for scenarios such as energy replenishment and nutritional support for special populations.

Application formulations for energy-supplementing products include meal replacement powders, energy bars, fitness supplements, and emergency energy powders. Its solid form readily blends with ingredients like protein powders, dietary fibre, and vitamins, while enhancing supplement palatability and mitigating the fishy odour of protein powders. In formulae for special medical purposes, its use reduces digestive system burden, making it suitable for energy supplementation during post-operative recovery or for individuals with gastrointestinal dysfunction. Its high stability ensures good compatibility with formulae components such as proteins and minerals, without impairing nutrient absorption and utilisation. In infant and toddler complementary foods, its mild sweetness aligns with developing taste preferences while providing rapid energy. Its fine texture and solubility ensure excellent compatibility with complementary feeding products.

Beyond food and dietary supplements, solid corn syrup has found cross-sector applications in pharmaceuticals, pet food, animal feed and other fields owing to its unique properties.

The primary constituents of SWEETEST®Corn syrup solid are sugars that are easily absorbed by the body, such as glucose and maltose. Glucose can be utilised directly by human cells without additional hydrolysis, providing the body with swift energy. Maltose is broken down into glucose by enzymes in the gut and is also rapidly absorbed, releasing energy more quickly than starchy foods. It is suitable as a source of energy replenishment post-exercise or during periods of excessive physical exertion (such as manual labour), aiding the swift recovery of stamina. It can also be used as an emergency energy supplement to alleviate hunger and fatigue.

As a food processing ingredient, SWEETEST®Corn syrup solid offers excellent stability and compatibility. It improves food texture-such as enhancing the softness of baked goods and the chewiness of confectionery-while extending product shelf life and reducing the risk of gastrointestinal discomfort caused by food spoilage. Its reducing properties facilitate the Maillard reaction, contributing to natural colour and flavour development during baking. This reduces reliance on artificial colourings and flavourings, thereby enhancing the natural profile and safety profile of food products.

▶ Mild sweetness profile

SWEETEST®Corn syrup solid offers 40-70% of the sweetness of sucrose, providing a gentle, non-irritating taste. It can partially replace sucrose in food processing to reduce the overall sweetness of products and sucrose intake, while mitigating the cloying sensation and metabolic burden associated with high sucrose levels.

■ Physical and chemical properties

SWEETEST®Corn syrup solid is a white or pale yellow crystalline powder or granules that are odourless and mildly sweet. Some high-maltose variants have a slightly viscous texture. It dissolves rapidly in water to form a transparent solution, but is poorly soluble in organic solvents such as ethanol and diethyl ether. Its hygroscopicity is moderate: lower than glucose, but higher than sucrose. It readily absorbs moisture, resulting in caking in environments with a relative humidity above 70%. Therefore, it should be stored in sealed, moisture-proof containers. It has no fixed melting point. Heating above 150°C causes gradual decomposition, triggering caramelisation reactions that deepen its colour and produce a toasty aroma. In its dry state, it exhibits good flowability, facilitating precise measurement and blending and making it suitable for automated feeding in industrial production. It is highly stable under neutral to weakly acidic conditions (pH 4-7) and resists hydrolysis. However, hydrolysis occurs when it is heated for a long time in strongly acidic (pH<3) or strongly alkaline (pH>9) environments, breaking it down into simpler monosaccharides.

■ Production technology characteristics

SWEETEST®Corn syrup solid is produced using corn starch as the raw material. Key processes include liquefaction, saccharification, purification, concentration and drying. The core step is the conversion of starch into fermentable sugars, which is followed by dehydration and solidification to produce the final product. High-purity maize starch is added to deionised water to form a starch slurry. The pH is then adjusted to between 6.0 and 6.5 and calcium chloride is added to activate the α-amylase, enhancing the subsequent liquefaction efficiency. α-Amylase is then introduced into the starch slurry. The mixture is then heated to 90-100 °C for 30-60 minutes to hydrolyse the starch molecules from long-chain structures into short-chain dextrins, reducing the slurry's viscosity in the process. Once liquefaction is complete, the mixture is heated to 120°C for 10 minutes to deactivate the α-amylase and terminate the liquefaction reaction. The pH and temperature of the liquefied solution are then adjusted, saccharification enzymes are added, and the reaction is maintained for 12-24 hours. These enzymes then further hydrolyse the dextrins into sugars such as glucose and maltose. Control the degree of saccharification according to product requirements. For high-glucose products, extend the saccharification time to achieve a DE value exceeding 90. For high-maltose products, add maltose-generating enzymes to selectively increase the maltose content. Once saccharification is complete, heat to 80-90°C and hold for 15 minutes to deactivate the saccharification enzymes.

Filter the saccharified solution through a plate-and-frame filter or a ceramic membrane to remove any remaining starch granules, proteins and other impurities, yielding a clear sugar solution. Add activated carbon to the clarified syrup to absorb and remove colourants, trace organic impurities and other contaminants. Then filter to remove the activated carbon. Pass the decolourised syrup through a mixed bed of cation and anion exchange resins to remove residual electrolytes, heavy metal ions and trace colourants, thereby enhancing the syrup's purity and clarity and yielding high-purity syrup. Vacuum concentration reduces the refined syrup to a viscous syrup with a concentration of 75-85%. This reduces energy consumption in subsequent drying processes while preventing syrup degradation caused by high temperatures. Spray drying is the most commonly employed industrial drying method. The dried powder is then ground and sieved to control the particle size, which should be within the range of 80-120 mesh. It is then blended uniformly to ensure consistent product quality.

☑ SWEETEST®Corn syrup solid powder DE 30-50%