Sweeteners are the food additive used in the greatest abundance compared to other additives that include substances for spoilage prevention, taste, appearance, texture, etc. Among the sweeteners, fructose, notably high fructose corn syrup, plays a prominent role. It is a monosaccharide that is approximately 75% sweeter than sucrose, or cane sugar.
Its many attributes, according to Oregon State University’s food resources web site include, in part the following:
- Controls crystallization
- Has a high osmotic pressure that helps control microbial growth
- Blends easily with sweeteners, acids and flavorings
- Has high sweetness
- Low viscosity
- Costs less than liquid sucrose or corn syrup blends
- They point out that the typical American consumes 48 pounds of high fructose corn syrup annually, usually in soft drinks. Americans drink more carbonated soft drinks than plain water.
HFCS is a product of the corn wet milling process. This process involves steeping, wherein the corn is cleaned to remove cobs, dust and other foreign materials followed by soaking in hot water for a period of 30 to 40 hours to loosen the gluten bonds and release the starch. The corn is then coarsely ground to break the germ loose followed by separation and oil extraction. Corn and water slurry is further ground to release starch and gluten and the starch is then separated via centrifugation. Most of the starch is then converted into corn syrups and dextrose.
Further treatment, involving filtration, centrifugation and ion exchange is used to refine the syrup, which can be sold as crystallized dextrose or processed into high fructose corn syrup.
Wherever filtration is required in the process, for particulate removal and clarification and for removal of yeast, ErtelAlsop filters are there to do the job efficiently and economically. Our expertise lies in the design and manufacture of the equipment and highly effective depth filter pads that can help you produce quality products. These include sanitary design lenticular format cartridges, housings, and plate and frame filters.