Bio-solution · FI10 · Food ingredients
Enzymatic high-fructose syrup from starch instead of sucrose and acid hydrolysis
Replaces
Cane and beet sucrose in beverages and processed foods; acid hydrolysis of starch for glucose syrup
Cane and beet sucrose in beverages and processed foods; acid hydrolysis of starch for glucose syrup
→
Scope
Enzymatic starch liquefaction (α-amylase), saccharification (glucoamylase) and isomerisation (immobilised glucose isomerase) to glucose and high-fructose syrups (HFCS-42/55, isoglucose)
Enzymatic starch liquefaction (α-amylase), saccharification (glucoamylase) and isomerisation (immobilised glucose isomerase) to glucose and high-fructose syrups (HFCS-42/55, isoglucose)
Suppliers 8
| Zar Grain Refinery (Zar Fructose) | Iran | active |
| Tereos FKS Indonesia | Indonesia | active |
| Galam LTD | Israel | active |
| Daesang | South Korea | active |
| Thai Wah | Thailand | active |
| Vedan Vietnam Enterprise Corp.,Ltd | Vietnam | active |
| ENZIM Biotech | Ukraine | active |
| Jiangsu Boyang Bioproducts | China | active |
Route into Russia / EAEU FOOD
- Regulator
- Rospotrebnadzor / EAEU
- Typical time
- declaration of conformity, or SGR within 30 calendar days for new/specialized ingredients (plus tests)
- Legal basis
- TR CU 021/2011 (food safety) and TR CU 029/2012 (additives, enzymes, flavourings): declaration, or state registration (SGR) for new types
Information, not legal advice — confirm the procedure for your product.
Proof 7 claims
Old process
Acid hydrolysis of starch (producing glucose/dextrose syrups) and the use of sucrose (cane/beet sugar) as the primary sweetener.
Acid hydrolysis of starch (producing glucose/dextrose syrups) and the use of sucrose (cane/beet sugar) as the primary sweetener.
→
New practice
Enzymatic starch hydrolysis and glucose isomerization (HFCS production) using immobilized glucose isomerase.
Enzymatic starch hydrolysis and glucose isomerization (HFCS production) using immobilized glucose isomerase.
- Displaced at scale?
- yes
- Caveats
- While HFCS has displaced sugar in specific sectors like U.S. carbonated soft drinks, there is no empirical evidence of a global displacement of sugar by alternative sweeteners.
- Hand review
- D3 National (USA): enzyme-made HFCS is >96% of combined HFCS and sugar use in beverages (USDA ERS); per-capita refined sugar fell 35% (1977–1986) as HFCS rose ninefold.
- checked
- 2026-10-06
| Refined sugar consumption in the U.S. decreased from a peak of 94 pounds per capita in 1977 to 61 pounds in 1986, a 35 percent reduction, while HFCS per capita consumption increased from 5 pounds in 1975 to over 45 pounds in 1986. “Refined sugar consumption decreased from a peak of 94 pounds per capita in 1977 to 61 pounds in 1986, a 35 percent reduction. HFCS per capita consumption, dry basis, increased from 5 pounds in 1975 to over 45 pounds in 1986.” United States · 1975-1986 · large measured reduction of the old process | government or intergovernmental ✓ www.library.nd.gov |
| HFCS accounts for over 96 percent of the combined HFCS and sugar consumption in the U.S. beverage industry. “Due to the lower costs of HFCS relative to sucrose, HFCS accounts for over 96 percent of the combined HFCS and sugar consumption in the beverage industry.” United States · 1987 (report date) · majority share of a major market | government or intergovernmental ✓ www.library.nd.gov |
| Continuous enzymatic conversion using immobilized glucose isomerase offers lower enzyme usage, lower capital equipment and labor costs, better process control, and lower refining costs compared to batch processes. “A comparison between immobilized glucose isomerase in a batch versus a continuous process shows the continuous process has the following advantages: 1 Lower enzyme usage and cost for converting glucose to fructose. 2 Lower capital equipment and labor costs. 3 Better and easier process control. 4 Lower refining costs …” · 1974 · | peer-reviewed onlinelibrary.wiley.com |
| HFCS-55 is priced 12 to 15 percent below sucrose and HFCS-42 is priced at 22 to 24 percent below sucrose prices, which enabled the industry to penetrate the market. “Recently HFCS-55 was priced 12 to 15 percent below sucrose and HFCS-42 was priced at 22 to 24 percent below sucrose prices. This pricing strategy enabled the HFCS industry to penetrate the sucrose market.” · 1980s · | government or intergovernmental ✓ www.library.nd.gov |
| The rise in sucrose prices to extraordinary heights in 1974 drove food manufacturers to increase their consumption of high-fructose corn syrup. “As wholesale prices of refined sugar quadrupled between the third quarter of 1973 and the third quarter of 1974, food manufacturers increased their consumption of high-fructose corn syrup.” · 1973-1974 · | peer-reviewed exa.ai |
| The U.S. corn wet-milling industry transitioned from using acids to enzymes for high-quality HFCS production as a result of enzyme research and development. “The process used for consistently high quality HFCS production is the result of enzyme R&D, which allowed replacing acids with enzymes.” United States · · | peer-reviewed exa.ai |
| HFCS production is the major application for immobilized-enzyme technology, with a world market of over 5 million tonnes. “The present world market for HFCS is over 5 million tonnes of which about 60% is for 55% fructose syrup with most of the remainder for 42% fructose syrup. This market is still expanding and ensures that HFCS production is the major application for immobilised-enzyme technology.” global · · majority share of a major market | weak (company, news, market research, other) water.lsbu.ac.uk |
Details
Replaces: sucrose and acid-hydrolysed glucose · Scope: starch-based sweeteners · Evidence: high (USA)
The chemical problem#
- Glucose syrups were long made by acid hydrolysis of starch: hot hydrochloric acid gives uncontrolled breakdown, bitter by-products and colour, and caps the achievable sweetness (glucose is less sweet than sucrose).
- Sucrose from cane and beet was protected by quotas and tariffs, and its price swung with harvests — a costly input for beverage makers.
Product overview#
A chain of three enzymes turns starch into a sucrose-equivalent syrup: α-amylase (liquefaction), glucoamylase (saccharification to glucose) and glucose isomerase (xylose isomerase, immobilised in packed columns) converting part of the glucose to fructose. HFCS-42 comes straight off the column; HFCS-55 (beverages) is enriched by chromatography. In the EU the same product is called isoglucose.
Active ingredient / Composition#
- HFCS-42: ~42 % fructose, ~53 % glucose; HFCS-55: ~55 % fructose — sweetness close to sucrose.
- Enzymes are processing aids (immobilised isomerase is reused for months), not ingredients.
Key facts#
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| US displacement | HFCS >96 % of combined HFCS + sugar use in beverages (USDA ERS) |
| Consumption shift | US refined sugar fell from 94 lb (1977) to 61 lb per capita (1986); HFCS rose from 5 lb (1975) to >45 lb (1986) |
| Price | HFCS-55 traded 12–15 % and HFCS-42 22–24 % below sucrose (USDA ERS) |
| Key enzyme | Immobilised glucose isomerase — one of the largest-volume industrial enzyme applications |
| Regulatory | Food ingredient; enzymes as processing aids (EAEU TR CU 029/2012) |
Advantages#
- Cheaper, liquid, consistent sweetener from maize, wheat or cassava starch.
- Enzymatic hydrolysis replaced hot-acid processing: cleaner syrups, higher yield, less colour.
- Lets starch-producing countries substitute imported sugar with a domestic crop.
Mode of action#
α-Amylase cuts starch into dextrins; glucoamylase releases glucose; glucose isomerase reversibly converts glucose to fructose (equilibrium ~42 % fructose at process temperature). Immobilisation lets one enzyme charge process thousands of tonnes of syrup.
Application#
| User | Target | Method, timing and specifics |
|---|---|---|
| Starch processors | Sweetener product line | Liquefaction → saccharification → isomerisation columns → refining |
| Beverage bottlers | Lower sweetener cost | HFCS-55 at sucrose-equivalent sweetness |
| Bakeries, dairy, canning | Moisture, browning, sweetness | HFCS-42 and glucose syrups |
| Enzyme suppliers | Process aids | Thermostable α-amylase, glucoamylase, immobilised isomerase |
Limitations#
- Health debate: fructose intake and obesity concerns drove some brands back to sucrose; the substitution argument here is process and cost, not nutrition.
- Outside the USA, sugar quotas limited adoption (the EU capped isoglucose until 2017).
- Depends on cheap starch and on maize-price policy.
Evidence of displacement — D3: proven displacement at scale#
Assessment (hand-reviewed): National (USA): enzyme-made HFCS is >96% of combined HFCS and sugar use in beverages (USDA ERS); per-capita refined sugar fell 35% (1977–1986) as HFCS rose ninefold.
Verified figures (the number is in the quoted sentence and the sentence is on the source page):
- displacement — Refined sugar consumption in the U.S. decreased from a peak of 94 pounds per capita in 1977 to 61 pounds in 1986, a 35 percent reduction, while HFCS per capita consumption increased from 5 pounds in 1975 to over 45 pounds in 1986. (United States, 1975-1986; government or intergovernmental: library.nd.gov)
- displacement — HFCS accounts for over 96 percent of the combined HFCS and sugar consumption in the U.S. beverage industry. (United States, 1987 (report date); government or intergovernmental: library.nd.gov)
- economics — HFCS-55 is priced 12 to 15 percent below sucrose and HFCS-42 is priced at 22 to 24 percent below sucrose prices, which enabled the industry to penetrate the market. (—, 1980s; government or intergovernmental: library.nd.gov)
Industry pioneers — companies that commercialised this substitution#
| Company | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Novonesis | Termamyl alpha-amylase variants can replace traditional acid hydrolysis for producing 42 DE glucose syrup. | weak: patents.justia.com |
Suppliers — real products and services (from the vendor index)#
Companies below are active vendors in the vendor index whose own card (profile / official website) shows this product or service — matched 2026-10-06 by keyword and checked by hand against the card text. Being listed is not an endorsement; open each card for evidence, contacts and status.
| Company | Region · Country | What the index shows | Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zar Grain Refinery (Zar Fructose) | Africa/ME · Iran | high-fructose corn syrup, glucose syrup and starch | card |
| Tereos FKS Indonesia | Asia · Indonesia | corn starch, high-fructose corn syrup, glucose syrups, maltodextrins | card |
| Galam LTD | Africa/ME · Israel | starches, fructose, glucose syrup | card |
| Daesang | Asia · South Korea | starch and sweeteners incl. fructose | card |
| Thai Wah | Asia · Thailand | modified starch and glucose syrup | card |
| Vedan Vietnam Enterprise Corp.,Ltd | Asia · Vietnam | starch and glucose syrup | card |
| ENZIM Biotech | Europe · Ukraine | enzyme complexes incl. glucose isomerase for glucose-to-fructose isomerisation | card |
| Jiangsu Boyang Bioproducts | Asia · China | enzymes for starch sugar processing | card |
Government funding signals#
Scanned 2026-10-06.
China, Brazil, India — national research grants acknowledged in publications#
Papers since 2015 whose title matches “high fructose syrup” and that acknowledge national government funders (Crossref funder metadata; conservative lower bounds). Signal bands used here: Strong ≥30 · Moderate 5–29 · Weak 1–4 · None 0.
| Country | Papers funded (2015–2026) | Signal | Example funded paper |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 17 | Moderate | High-level expression of Thermobifida fusca glucose isomerase for high (doi) |
| Brazil | 3 | Weak | – |
| India | 0 | None | – |
Scientific evidence#
- Bhosale SH, Rao MB, Deshpande VV (1996). Molecular and industrial aspects of glucose isomerase. Microbiological Reviews 60: 280–300.
- White JS (2008). Straight talk about high-fructose corn syrup: what it is and what it ain’t. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 88: 1716S–1721S.
- USDA Economic Research Service. Sugar and sweetener market analyses (report; source of the beverage-share and price figures).
- Note: journal references are checked against Crossref.
Bioeconomy value#
An enzyme cascade let a starch crop take most of a sugar market in one of the world’s largest economies within a decade (1975–1986) — the clearest case of industrial enzymes reshaping a commodity, driven by price.
Tenth article of food ingredients (added 2026-10-06, evidence-first: grade D3).