Corn Syrup vs Liquid Glucose: Difference and Comparison

Corn syrup and Liquid glucose are natural sweeteners that are utilized for food dressing. They both contain sugar in a proportionate amount.

Corn syrup is made with the help of corn kernels that are converted into corn starch in the later process, while the starch hydrolysis process obtains liquid glucose.

Key Takeaways

1. Corn syrup is a sweet, viscous liquid made from cornstarch, used as a sweetener and thickening agent in various food products.
2. Liquid glucose, or glucose syrup, is a sweet, thick liquid made from hydrolyzed starch and can be derived from multiple sources, including corn, wheat, and potatoes.
3. Both corn syrup and liquid glucose are used as sweeteners and thickeners in the food industry, but corn syrup is specifically derived from corn. In contrast, liquid glucose can be made from various starch sources.

Corn Syrup vs Liquid Glucose

Corn syrup is a thick, sweet liquid made by breaking down cornstarch into glucose molecules, commonly used in baking, confectionery, and processed foods. Liquid glucose, on the other hand, is a more generic term for a purified glucose syrup that can be derived from various starch sources, such as wheat or potato, and is utilized in a range of food applications for its texture, sweetness, and stability.

Corn syrup is a natural sweetener that is obtained from corn kernels which are then converted into corn starch. This process can be achieved by boiling or diluting it with acids.

Depending upon how it is prepared, the syrup can be light as well as dark.

Liquid glucose is the generic name given to the saccharide solution. In this, raw materials such as corn or rice are used. Then it is diluted into the solution to form the starch.

Liquid Glucose is yellowish in color and odourless aqueous syrup. Liquid glucose is used in many applications as it has good crystallisation properties and reduced sweetness.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Corn Syrup	Liquid Glucose
Process of Formation	It is formed by the cornstarch process.	It is formed by the hydrolysis of starch.
Raw Materials	Corn Kernels	Corn or Rice
Cost	It is costlier as it takes time to prepare it.	It is cheaper as it can be easily formed.
Features	It is used in food to give a nice and sweet taste to it.	It has excellent properties of crystallization and reducing the sweetness.
Glucose Content	Although, it is entirely glucose and the percentage is less than liquid glucose.	It is a pure form of glucose.

What is Corn Syrup?

Corn syrup is a characteristic sugar, i.e., manufactured from the corn starch process. In this interaction, the kernels of corn are used to form the starch solution.

It is then diluted with one or the other corrosive. The solution then gets changed over into starch.

As it is a natural sweetener so, it contains sugar in definite proportion. The syrup is essentially utilized for food dressing or as a baking material. Whenever it is added to the food, it expands the sweetness of the food.

When the corn starch is ready, it is then allowed to boil for a certain period so that the liquid’s viscosity increases to form a syrup.

Corn syrup can be light as well as dark depending upon the preparation of how it is being prepared.

If the syrup is prepared normally, it forms a light syrup, while if a small part of caramel is mixed with it, it will form a dark syrup. The sweetness percentage is higher in dark syrup than in light syrup.

The cost of corn syrup is costlier than liquid glucose. As over here it is, prepared in large batches. Thus, the process takes time to manufacture the syrup from kernels.

What is Liquid Glucose?

Liquid Glucose is also a natural sweetener. It is an aqueous solution of saccharides, i.e., basically obtained by the hydrolysis of starch.

For producing liquid glucose, raw materials like corn and rice are used to produce the starch. This can be done by diluting it with acids.

Once the raw materials are diluted, it is concentrated and purified to form the required solids.

Liquid Glucose is yellowish in color and has odourless syrup. It is stored under hygienic conditions so that it does not react with other compounds.

One of the applications of liquid glucose is in the crystallization process. It is added to the sweets to convert them into crystalline form, and then the sweets are stored in the refrigerator.

Liquid glucose also has the property to reduce the sweetness in candies and sweets.

For example, if the sugar percentage is higher during the preparation, then this liquid solution is added to decrease the sugar content.

As it has a high viscosity thus, it is basically in the form of syrup. The syrup also has the property to enhance brightness and transparency.

Liquid glucose is used for bitter pharmaceuticals like cough and vitamin-based syrups.

Once the liquid glucose is added, it terminates the bitterness and increases the sweetness content.

Main Differences Between Corn Syrup and Liquid Glucose

1. Corn syrup is mainly used in food items as a dressing substitute, whereas liquid glucose has applications ranging from food to medicines. It is used in food to lower the sweetness content. Also, it is used in medicines to decrease the bitterness content.
2. The corn starch process manufactures corn syrup, while the liquid glucose is prepared from the hydrolysis of starch.
3. The price buffer for corn syrup is high as it is harder to prepare compared with liquid glucose, which is easy to prepare. Thus, liquid glucose is cheaper.
4. The percentage of glucose content in corn syrup is lower than in liquid glucose, a pure form of glucose.
5. The raw materials in corn syrup are corn kernels from which the corn starch is prepared, whereas the raw materials in liquid glucose are either corn or rice.

References

1. https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article-abstract/79/4/537/4690128
2. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/some-effects-of-dietary-dextrose-fructose-liquid-glucose-and-sucrose-in-the-adult-male-rat/A636473B23E8CECD5F4D4A74CF12B6CB

Last Updated : 25 July, 2023