Question

1. What is High Fructose Corn Syrup? When was it invented and by whom? What properties does it have that make it so useful to food manufacturers.
2. According to Pollan, what factors have led to America's obesity epidemic and what does he suggest are underlying causes?
3. Describe what happens in the body when someone has type 2 diabetes. How does it occur? Why would a diet high in refined starches and sugars potentially cause the disease?

Answer 1

High fructose corn syrup (also known as gluctose-fructose syrup or maize syrup,) is a sweetner made from starch. Here Glucose has been converted into fructose to enhance its sweetness. It is an aqueous solution of nutritive saccharides in which a portion of the dextrose has been isomerized to fructose.

It was first produced by Richard O. Marshall and Earl R. Kooi in 1957. They also created glucose isomerase enzyme.

It was very useful in food industry due to its:

• sweetness comparable with that of sucrose
• improved stability and functionality
• High ease of use
• as moisture conditioners, food plasticizers, crystallization inhibitors in bakery etc.
• Less expensive than sucrose.

Hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any query.

Best wishes!!