Glucose syrup UK shortages: how to overcome the supply deficit
We explain how to beat the glucose syrup supply deficit
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Sugar-glucose blends
Glucose Syrup 42DE
Transparent, viscous syrup with a sweet taste and neutral colour. Stabilises bakery and pharmaceutical products while adding volume and a chewy texture to confectionary sweets.
Glucose Syrup 63DE
Sweeter than 42DE due to its higher sugar value, reducing the water activity and making the syrup less viscous. This increases preserving qualities and provides greater body and mouth feel, especially in beverages.
What are the applications of glucose syrup?
Glucose syrup is primarily used in confectionary and beverages, where its high glucose content acts as a sweetener. For confectionary, the syrup’s high viscosity also adds volume and chewiness to sweets.
It is also used as a humectant, helping products stay moist while extending their shelf life. In baked goods, glucose syrup is used to stabilise products, and in the pharmaceutical industry, it tends to be used to inhibit crystallisation.
Tasting notes
Glucose syrup has a light, sweet taste.
Storage and packaging
Storage temperature
15–20⁰C
Shelf life
Crystallisation (12 months); microbiology (12 months)
Packaging and storage options
Bulk tankers, intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) and 25kg pails.
Properties
| Description | Approx. (on sample) |
|---|---|
| Dextrose | Typical 17% |
| Maltose | Typical 13% |
| Maltriose | Typical 11% |
| Higher sugars | Typical 59% |
| Sulphur dioxide | <9ppm |
| Refractometer brix | 82-84 |
| pH | 3.5-5.5 |
How is glucose syrup produced?
Glucose syrup is refined through hydrolysis of the starch in maize or wheat, either through acid hydrolysis or enzyme hydrolysis. Doing so produces a concentrated solution with a high glucose content. This is measured by the syrup’s Dextrose Equivalent (DE). The higher the DE, the sweeter and less viscous the syrup. Ragus offers 42DE and 63DE glucose syrup to suit applications that require different sweetness values and viscosities.
Glucose refiners typically use the acid hydrolysis method. First the starch is extracted, ground and soaked to hydrate, then mixed with sulphur dioxide and water. The mixture is heated under pressure and the acid acts as a catalyst to speed up the reaction. This converts the starch and acid into a solution of dextrose, maltose, and higher saccharides.
From here, the dilute syrup is passed through a filtration, ion exchange and deodorisation process to remove any remaining impurities, leaving it with a clear colour and enhancing its stability. Next the dilute syrup is evaporated under vacuum to raise its concentration, before being passed through a 150-micron filter and packaged.
Food Safety
All our sugar syrup production adopts BRC standard procedures including HACCP and undergoes a process of temperature/time, filtration, and final stage 150-micron filter prior to packing.
