Due to the rising cost of sucrose in the food industry, and the maturity of the production process of fructose syrup and the relatively low cost of production, the use of fructose syrup instead of or partially in place of sucrose has become a cost-control option for many large manufacturers, including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and others.

According to relevant organizations, the use of fructose syrup in the global beverage production accounted for as much as 75%, especially in the ready-made tea industry, fructose syrup has also long become the mainstream tea stores preferred, and the largest amount of beverage sweeteners.

But the same syrup, glucose syrup, maltose syrup why not widely used in the production of tea drinks? What is the difference between the three of them? This article will talk about the differences:

Speaking of fructose syrup, glucose syrup, maltose syrup, have to say “starch syrup”.
Starch syrup is in the food industry, in addition to sucrose, one of the important sweeteners. The advantages of starch syrups are: a milder sweetness, good viscosity and moisturizing properties, combined with a lower price and a proven process, making them extremely versatile.

Depending on the degree of hydrolysis of starch, three types of syrups are produced: fructose syrup, glucose syrup and maltose syrup, which contain different proportions of monosaccharides, disaccharides and oligosaccharides.

Three kinds of syrup composition differences

a. Fructose syrup: fructose, glucose

b. Glucose syrup: glucose, maltose, maltotriose, maltotetraose, malt pentasaccharide and above

c.Maltose syrup: maltose, maltotriose, glucose (less than 10%)

Three types of syrup (called) difference

a.Fructose syrup:
F42 type (fructose not less than 42%); F55 type (fructose not less than 55%)
F60 type (fructose not less than 60%); F90 type (fructose not less than 90%)

b. Glucose syrup (the greater the DE value the greater the degree of hydrolysis and the higher the glucose content):
High DE value; medium DE value; low DE value

c.Maltose syrup (maltose content, in dry matter, mass fraction):
M40 type ≥40%; M50 type ≥50%; M70 type ≥70%

Fruit glucose syrup characteristics

Fruit glucose syrup is mainly differentiated into several models such as F42, F55 and F60 according to the differences in ingredients, and F60 is used in a huge amount in the freshly made tea beverage industry. And the main difference between the 2 models F42 and F55 are:

a. In order to prevent the generation of syrup pigment in the storage process, the finished syrup is usually kept below 28 ℃ environment, and under this condition, the F42 type syrup will have glucose crystals precipitation, because the F42 type optimal crystallization temperature is 5-10 ℃, the crystallization temperature range of 20 ℃ or less. While F55 syrup can be stored normally in the range of 26-30℃;

b. The two internal fructose and glucose composition is different;

4.1 Cold sweetness of fructose syrup is obvious:

Cold sweetness is the main advantage of fructose syrup over the other two types of syrups, in the case of 40 degrees below, the lower the temperature, the higher the sweetness, up to 1.73 times that of sucrose. Due to this characteristic, fructose syrups are extremely suitable for cold drinks.

At 10% brix, the sweetness of F42 fructose is 0.9-1 times that of sucrose, and the sweetness of F55 high fructose is equal to that of sucrose; at 20% brix, the sweetness of F42 fructose is roughly equal to that of sucrose, and the sweetness of F55 high fructose is 1.15 times that of sucrose.

*Fructose syrup is rich in fructose, which gives it a fruity flavor and a cool taste;

*Fructose syrup combined with sucrose can increase the sweetness by 20-30%, and the sweetness is rich and the flavor is better.

4.2 Fructose syrup high solubility:
Solubility is the highest among sugars. At temperatures of 20℃, 30℃, 40℃, 50℃, the solubility of fructose syrup is 1.88 times, 2.0 times, 2.3 times and 3.1 times that of sucrose (the solubility of glucose syrup is relatively low compared to sucrose)

4.3 Good crystallization resistance:
Fructose syrup is more difficult to crystallize than sucrose, applied to cold drink products can inhibit the product surface hard shell phenomenon caused by surface crystallization due to the use of sucrose alone.

4.4 Can reduce the freezing point of cold drinks:
As fructose syrup contains a large amount of fructose and glucose, and fructose and glucose are small molecular weight compared with sucrose, so the ability to reduce the freezing point is stronger than that of white granulated sugar.

4.5 Good stability in acidic environment:
Fructose syrup is more stable in acidic environment, glucose and fructose are monosaccharides, PH value is more stable, glucose is the most stable in PH3.0, fructose is the most stable in PH3.3, so fructose syrup is more stable in some acidic foods.

4.6 Fructose syrup application products:
a.Soft drinks: carbonated beverages, fruit juice drinks, sports drinks and so on.

b.Frozen drinks: cold sweet + lower freezing point characteristics make fructose for cold drinks production is very suitable.

c. Alcoholic beverages: Fructose syrup is used in wine, fruit wine, yellow wine, etc. It can avoid sedimentation and make alcoholic beverages have good transparency.

d. Bread and pastry: due to the high humectancy, fructose syrup is used in bread and pastry, which can effectively prolong the freshness and fluffiness of bread and pastry (better than sucrose), while fructose and glucose in fructose syrup are monosaccharides, which can be directly utilized by yeast, and it can produce more gas in the production of bread and pastry and make the products fluffy.

*Note: Due to a series of characteristics of fructose syrup, especially to reduce the freezing point effect, the production of frozen puffed ice cream, ice-cream and other products, try to minimize the use of fructose syrup or do not use it, in order to avoid slowing down the freezing speed of the product, the freezing situation is not good, in the sales chain caused by poor resistance to melting, the phenomenon of high loss rate.

Glucose syrup characteristics and applications

Glucose syrup is about 0.4-0.5 times sweeter than sucrose and has a mild sweetness, which can present a pleasant sweetness in candy manufacturing. The hygroscopicity of glucose is less than sucrose, so in candy manufacturing, it can prevent candy from moisture absorption and melting, and prolong the preservation and flavor. And glucose syrup contains dextrin, can increase the toughness and strength of candy, so that candy is not easy to break, and dilute the sweetness of candy.

Maltose syrup characteristics and applications

a. Hard candy: maltose syrup is widely used in the manufacture of hard candy, which has high viscosity, anti-crystallization, so that the hard candy to maintain a dry and fresh flavor for a long time.

Maltose syrup has good heat resistance and high boiling temperature, which makes the color of the produced candy light and good transparency. And because of the low hygroscopicity of maltose syrup, excellent water retention and good fluidity, it can maintain the proper moisture of the candy to avoid too hard or too soft. Maltose syrup is better than glucose syrup in confectionery industry.

b. Biscuits: Maltose syrup is widely used in crisp cookies, and even has a decisive role in the quality of cookies. Especially the most used high maltose syrup can make the cookies taste both crisp, fragrant, crispy, sweet, and not easy to absorb moisture, extend shelf life.

c. Beer: maltose syrup has good fermentation ability, and low sweetness and mellow flavor, as a beer brewing auxiliary materials used in maltose syrup can simplify the production process, increase production capacity, optimize production costs, but also improve the stability of the beer flavor and freshness.

d. Yellow wine: Due to the low content of simple sugar in maltose syrup, the osmotic pressure in aqueous solution is low, which can be used in the fermentation process of yellow wine production without increasing the inhibitory effect on yeast.