Jo's Cafe

Corn Syrup Solids: Corn syrup solids are produced by carrying out the corn syrup refining process until the dextrose content makes up more that 20% of the total dry product. Because of this high ratio of dextrose, corn syrup solids are often used as a sweetener, especially in low-fat foods. Corn syrup is often used in low-fat foods as it adds sweetness, viscosity, and improves texture.

Now why am I even mentioning this stuff? Well this “stuff” jumped my mostly normal sugar levels to over 200 a few weeks ago. I usually take my own creamer and sweetener to work for coffee. But one afternoon I ran out and forgot to get some at lunch. So I figured it wouldn’t hurt to use the powdered stuff the office provides. I drink a lot of coffee during the day so I had more than I should have. When I got home and tested, bam 215!! Yikes! Twenty minutes on the treadmill, a light supper, my evening dose of metformin and insulin and the next morning it was back down to 80. When I got to work that day I grabbed up the bottle and Corn Syrup Solids were the first ingredient on the list of other junk. No wonder I had an over 200 reading — I was dumping sugar into my system all afternoon.

What is corn syrup?

The singular term “corn syrup” is somewhat of a misnomer because it is used to identify a group of sweeteners that differ from one another simply by the amount of dextrose (glucose) present in the commercial syrup. Since only a single type of corn syrup is generally used in a food product, the term “corn syrup” is permitted in an ingredient statement. However, consumers have no idea how much glucose is contained in the particular “corn syrup” listed in an ingredient statement. A commercial “corn syrup” may contain between 20% and 98% dextrose (glucose).

“Corn syrup” may also be called “glucose syrup” in an ingredient list.

Corn syrups are used in many of today’s salad dressings, tomato sauces, powdered drink mixes, fruit drinks and juices, and frozen desserts like pudding and ice milk.

What are corn syrup solids?

When a corn syrup has been concentrated to contain less than 10% water, it can be listed as “corn syrup solids” in an ingredient statement. To qualify as “corn syrup solids,” the glucose (dextrose) content must be at least 88% of the weight of the concentrated syrup. This product can be called “dried glucose syrup” or “glucose syrup solids” in an ingredient list.

Corn syrup solids are used in the same types of foods as dextrose and corn syrups.

I’ve always been taught (by who I don’t remember) that the first ingredient on the list was the majority of the whole in the food product.

Don’t use this crap — even if you don’t have diabetes. It’s bad bad bad for you. Use low-fat milk or non-dairy liquid creamer, but ALWAYS check the ingredients first.