A
sweetener heavily used in the
American food production, due to the
tariffs on
sugar imports.
Corn syrup is not nearly as tasty as
sugar, and people with an
allergy to
corn cannot consume it.
High fructose corn syrup contains a large amount of "free" (unbonded) fructose, which has been speculated to interfere with coronary function, such as use of magnesium, chromium, and copper. Corn syrup can also use dextrose or maltose as its sweetening agent.
Corn syrup is created by suspending corn starch in water, and, using acid or enzymes, convert the starch water into a low-dextrose solution. Further enzymes are used to continue the conversion, halting the process when the desired amount of dextrose, maltose, or fructose is present. The syrup is then refined, and has excess water removed.