Making Corn Syrup: How is HFCS manufactured?

Corn is milled to produce cornstarch. Cornstarch is then processed into a clear syrup which is almost pure long chains of glucose.

The first bacteria manufactured enzyme (alpha-amylase) is mixed into the corn syrup and breaks it down into shorter chains of sugar.

The second enzyme (gluco-amylase) produced from a fungus breaks the sugars into even shorter chains.

Then glucose-isomerase breaks this into a mix of 42% fructose and 50% glucose plus other sugars. Finally liquid chromatography nudges this into 90% fructose. By mixing this with the former 42% solution (they call it back-blending) the final product is HFCS 55 (55% fructose).

(The two enzymes are genetically modified for stability. So is the corn, so if you are avoiding genetically modified foods, avoid HFCS. It is estimated that 80% of our food is genetically modified -- so good luck with that!)

The final liquid HFCS 55 is piped into trucks from the 16 manufacturing plants in the corn belt and transported to food manufacturers producing baked goods, condiments and soft drinks.

Many "sugar free" foods have sugar alcohols such as malitol and sorbitol -- as bad or worse than sugar.