Chapter 8 Sugar: The Simplest of Carbohydrates 141 or polysaccharides. (Dextrose is the name for glucose used by the confectionery trade.) A sweeter version of corn syrup, called high-fructose corn syrup, is used in many products. These products include soft drinks, pancake syrups, candies, and baked goods. It is produced by enzymatically converting some of the dextrose in corn syrup to fructose. High-fructose corn syrup used in sweetened beverages is 55% fructose and 45% glucose. Sucrose has 50% fructose and 50% glucose. The other major high-fructose corn syrup, which is used in products such as breads, jams, and yogurt, is 42% fructose and 58% glucose. This is a lower fructose level than table sugar. It is high fructose only in relation to regular corn syrup. uncooked fondants, and icings. It is also sprinkled on buns, pies, and pastries. Ultrafine, 10X, powdered sugar is used for the finest icings and fondant fillings. Sugar Beets Sucrose is also found in sugar beets. There is no difference in the performance of beet sugar and cane sugar. There is, however, usually a difference in cost. Sugar beets can be more economical to grow and process. See 8-6. Maple Syrup Maple syrup is the concentrated sap of sugar maple trees. It takes 40 gallons of tree sap, slowly simmered down, to make one gallon of maple syrup. Many people in the United States have never tasted true maple syrup. Because of the high cost of maple syrup, the food industry has developed substitutes. Most pancake syrups are only 2% maple syrup or less. The main ingredient in these syrups is corn syrup, another common sweetener in processed foods. Corn Syrup Corn syrup is processed by hydrolyzing corn- starch into glucose. Corn syrup is composed of varying amounts of dextrose, maltose, and dextrins Food Fact The source of granulated sugar is only important to a person who is allergic to the original plant source. Someone who is highly sensitive to beets may experience problems from consuming beet sugar due to plant residues in the sugar. Likewise, someone who is highly sensitive to sugarcane may experience problems from consuming cane sugar. 8-6 Powdered sugar, granulated sugar, and brown sugar are all made from sugarcane (A) or sugar beets (B). B fotoearl/Shutterstock.com A Ekkaratk/Shutterstock.com most nutritionists and scientists agree that there is no substantial evidence to support the idea that high-fructose corn syrup is responsible for obesity. The issue of obesity is complex. There are many potential contributing factors, including sugars and corn syrups. Relevant Research Obesity and Corn Syrup As concerns about obesity have increased over the last decade, the idea that corn syrup causes obesity has become widespread. The alarm over high-fructose corn syrups began with data that showed a sharp increase in obesity in the United States at the same time high-fructose corn syrup replaced much of the sugar in sodas. However, Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.