Quote:
Originally Posted by foodpump  HFCS is used for two main reasons, the first being cheaper than sugar. The other reason is that the more sugar/HFCS/ you dump in a product, the longer shelf life you have, and a side benefit is that it adds weight too! |
I hate to disagree with you Foodpump but If you add sugar or HFCS to a food product (unless you add tons in it) you do not extent the shelflife of the product you actually make it susceptible to yeast and mold and for that reason you will need to use a preservative (sorbate or benzoate) to give the product some shelflife or hotpack (sterilize/pasteurize).
HFCS (and sugar) is used mainly for volume (adding heft cheaply), for moisture/evaporation control (keeping things nice and malleable), overall mouth feel, for taste enhancement (sweetness is what consumers like), Masking agent (reducing bitterness, acidity) and overall customer taste appeal.
I know this well because I have worked intimately with food development at food processors for 20 years. What is sad when you work with R&D people is to find out how many of them do not know how to cook so will believe everything an industrial chemical rep will give them.
HFCS is so heavily subsidies and dirt cheap, every food processors starts by this ingredient when developing a new food product.
Luc H