Glucose Syrups

Glucose Syrup is a clear, colourless syrup widely used in the confectionery, bakery, jam, and canning industries as well as in the ice cream industry and other branches of food manufacture. Glucose syrup is today mostly manufactured by controlled enzymatic hydrolysis (degradation) of starch.

Glucose syrups have a range of conversion degrees from DE*) 28 to DE 98 depending on the application of the syrup. Glucose syrup is normally stored at 80% DS**) in order to prevent fermentation.

The choice of glucose syrup will depend on the actual requirements. Generally, a low converted syrup acts as a bodying agent and a high converted syrup acts as a sweetening agent. Glucose syrups can be divided into 4 groups based on the degree of conversion: Low Conversion 20-35 DE, Intermediate Conversion 35-55 DE, High Conversion 55-70 DE and Very High Conversion 70-98 DE.

*)   DE: Dextrose Equivalents
**) DS: Dry Substance

Low Conversion
A low converted glucose syrup has a bodying effect increases the viscosity and acts as humectants. Low converted glucose syrup is widely used for frozen dairy products. The relative sweetness to sucrose is 30-35%.

Intermediate Conversion
Intermediate converted glucose syrup is used in the beverage industry and frozen dairy products. In the confectionery industry, intermediate converted syrup is used in sweets like marshmallows, toffees, caramels, gelatine gums and chewy nougat, hard-boiled drops etc. The relative sweetness to sucrose is 35-55%.

High Conversion
High converted syrup is mainly used in soft drinks, jams, and confectionery. The relative sweetness to sucrose is 55-70%.

Very High Conversion
The main application for very high converted syrup is in bakery products, beverages and medical products. Furthermore, it serves as raw material for manufacturing dextrose monohydrate, sorbitol, and fructose syrups. Very high converted syrup is also used in cured meat, tobacco, and leather tanning.

Glucose can be mixed with sucrose resulting in a synergistic sweetening. A mixture of sucrose/glucose = 3/1 has the same sweetness as pure sucrose.