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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Commodity Utilization Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #326396

Research Project: Developing Technologies that Enable Growth and Profitability in the Commercial Conversion of Sugarcane, Sweet Sorghum, and Energy Beets into Sugar, Advanced Biofuels, and Bioproducts

Location: Commodity Utilization Research

Title: Detecting adulterated commercial sweet sorghum syrups with ion chromatography oligosaccharide fingerprint profiles

Author
item Eggleston, Gillian
item Wartelle, Lynda
item St Cyr, Eldwin

Submitted to: Separations
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/8/2016
Publication Date: 7/20/2016
Citation: Eggleston, G., Wartelle, L., St Cyr, E. 2016. Detecting adulterated commercial sweet sorghum syrups with ion chromatography oligosaccharide fingerprint profiles. Separations. 3(20):1-16.

Interpretive Summary: There have been reports of the fraudulent adulteration of sweet sorghum syrups with inexpensive sugar syrups, particularly high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) or corn syrup, and sold at a relatively low market price or even mis-branded. This undermines the economic stability of the industry. An ion chromatography method was developed to be used as a screening method to detect such adulteration. Using multiple markers, detection as low as 10% HFCS is capable, which is within the lower limit of adulteration before action is taken.

Technical Abstract: Some commercial sweet sorghum syrups can be fraudulently or accidently adulterated with inexpensive sugar syrups, particularly high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) or corn syrup, and sold at a relatively low market price or even mis-branded. This undermines the economic stability of the current small-scale producers of food-grade sweet sorghum syrup as well as the developing large-scale bioproduct industry. An analytical method is urgently needed to evaluate adulterated commercial sweet sorghum syrups. Ion chromatography with integrated pulsed amperometric detection (IC-IPAD) has been previously used to differentiate white, refined sugars manufactured from sugarcane and sugar beet. By applying a strong IC-IPAD NaOH/NaOAc gradient method over 45 min, monosaccharides, oligosaccharides and oligosaccharide isomers of at least 2 to 12 dp, as well as sugar alchohols can be detected in multiple commercial sweet sorghum and other sugar syrups. Fingerprint IC oligosaccharide profiles are extremely selective, sensitive, and reliable. By using five characteristic marker chromatography peaks of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), including maltose and maltotriose, in combination with a low sucrose peak, adulteration and mis-branded syrups were identified. The analysis of 7.0 Brix blind syrup samples, marker peaks allowed the detection of as low as 10% HFCS adulteration, which is within the lower limit of adulteration before action is taken.