How Is HFCS Extracted From Corn?

Creating Corn Syrup

• The first step in converting corn to HFCS is to wet mill the corn, which allows the kernels to separate into cornstarch, corn oil and corn gluten meal (which is used for animal feed). The starch is then combined with water and enzymes to create corn syrup, which is much like the syrup available to consumers in grocery stores. Corn syrup is used as a sweetener and thickening agent in foods and is high in glucose.

Converting Glucose to Fructose

• Next, more enzymes are introduced into the corn syrup, converting some of the glucose to fructose. This blend can be anywhere from 42 percent to 90 percent fructose, but the type most commonly used is 55 percent fructose. This is the blend found in sodas and condiments, since it has the same relative sweetness as table sugar (although the two have different overall tastes). This blend is also very more soluble than table sugar.

Comparison to Table Sugar

• High fructose corn syrup is now commonly used in applications that would have previously used table sugar, or sucrose, as a sweetener. In many ways, sugar is a more natural ingredient than HFCS, which is why advocates for natural foods oppose the widespread use of HFCS. Since sugar does not require a process of adding enzymes, it is a less processed food than HFCS, although corn syrup is cheaper to produce in the United States because of certain tariffs in place that make sucrose more expensive.

Health and Environmental Concerns

• Because the use of HFCS is so widespread, many groups are questioning its long-term health effects and impact on the environment. Many studies are being conducted on the possible links between HFCS and diabetes and obesity, although no definitive link has been found so far. Environmental activists are concerned that the increase in corn production has negatively impacted both biodiversity and the family farmer, since corn subsidies promote growing a single crop instead of a wide variety.