How Is Fructose Produced?
Fructose in Nature Fructose is produced by plants, and is found in most fruits and root vegetables. It has the same chemical composition as glucose, but the molecule is arranged differently. Plants use the sun’s energy to convert carbon dioxide and water to sugar and oxygen. When we consume fruit, the sugars provide our body with energy and a sweet flavor. Fructose is sweeter than other sugars such as sucrose and glucose, and even honey. Synthetic Fructose Most fructose is produced as a component of high fructose corn syrup, used in food manufacturing because it is cheap and effective as a flavoring and preservative. Corn is milled into cornstarch, which is then treated with the enzyme alpha-amylase to break down long chains of sugars into oligo-saccharides. Another enzyme, glucoamylase, processes the chains further to produce glucose. At this point, gluco-isomerase, a third enzyme, is added to convert glucose to fructose. The product is about half glucose and half fructose, with some
