Reducing sugars are sugars that contain a free aldehyde or ketone group capable of acting as a reducing agent in chemical reactions. In food science, the most important reducing sugars are glucose (dextrose), fructose, maltose, and lactose. Sucrose, by contrast, is a non-reducing sugar because its glycosidic bond blocks the reactive groups of both glucose and fructose.
The content of reducing sugars is a key quality parameter in confectionery, bakery, and sugar production. It determines the sweetness, hygroscopic properties, color development (through Maillard browning and caramelization), and crystallization behavior of syrups and masses. In glucose syrup production, the percentage of reducing sugars — expressed as dextrose equivalent (DE) — indicates the degree of starch hydrolysis and directly affects the syrup’s viscosity, sweetness, and technological applications.
Discover more about reducing sugars — including their measurement, role in food technology, and practical significance — in the articles below.
Invert syrup (Інвертний сироп) is a GOST recipe for a syrup produced by the acid hydrolysis of sucrose into its two component reducing sugars —… Read More »Invert Syrup GOST Recipe with Technological Map
Glucose syrup (also known as starch syrup or corn syrup) is a concentrated solution of sugars and dextrins obtained by the incomplete hydrolysis of starch… Read More »Glucose Syrup (Starch Syrup)