Manufacturing, properties and selected applications of invert sugar syrups

Invert sugar syrups are mixtures of equal parts glucose and fructose, which are produced by hydrolysis of sucrose. They are characterised by a neutral sweet taste and do not lead to foam or floc formation in applications. Invert sugar syrups are microbiologically more stable than sucrose solutions due to their reduced water activity and the increased osmotic pressure. They are water-clear, odourless and allow easy and safe processing. These are used, for example, in the beverage, confectionery, tobacco and animal feed industries. In Germany alone, more than 10,000 t of invert sugar syrup are used annually for winter feeding of honeybees.

The production takes place in batch or continuously running processes on the scale of the tonnes using homogeneous, heterogeneous acid or even enzymatic catalysis, whereby the molecular incorporation of water increases the amount of sugar, i.e., a mass increase of about 5% takes place. Many invert sugar syrup products can be produced, depending on the degree of inversion. One very important invert sugar syrup product in Germany in terms of quantity has a dry substance of 72.7% and an inversion degree of 66%.