What is corn syrup?
Corn syrup exists in much of our food. If you've had something sweet today, there's a high chance it contains some form of corn syrup.
Corn syrup is used in food to soften texture, add volume, prevent the crystallization of sugar and enhance flavour. It's a type of corn sweetener, along side high-fructose corn syrups, maltodextrin, crystalline fructose and dextrose.
Production process
Manufacturing corn syrup requires a multi-step process. Corn is inspected, cleaned, and then steeped between 30 to 40 hours to help break it's starch and protein bonds. After that, it is ground to separate the germ from the kernel. The remaining parts are ground further to make the slurry finer.
The grounded corn slurry is filtered to separate the starch and protein from any fibers. The starch is separated from the remaining slurry through liquid suspension in hydrocyclones (shown in image). What remains is starch that can now be converted into corn syrup.
Risks & Challenges
During processing, thick fluids are often heated to help it move faster and more efficiently through the process. Materials going through filters can reach temperatures of up to 60°C, posing a burn hazard to equipment operators if it leaks. However, maintenance that's too frequent will not only add further risk to operators who will need to be exposed to the hot fluids more often, but also increase the manufacturer's maintenance costs. The frequent amount of downtime needed can affect the efficiency of the whole process, leading to slowed production and potential product loss in batches.
Our solution
Using the right filter in the production of corn syrup can help a manufacturer reduce maintenance costs, injury risks, and product loss. An ideal filter would also be less labour-intensive in it's cleaning or replacing process. It should also have the right capacity and flow rate is also key in order for the hot, sticky material to move through the processing line efficiently.
We recommend the Coax™ Series Cartridge Filters which are suited for the production of corn syrups. This filter cartridge is an integral two stage depth filter. The first stage is made of nonwoven melt blown polypropylene to trap coarser particles. The second stage is composed of a bicomponent polypropylene and polyethylene fiber to provide fine particle retention. This unique design provides a true graded, two zone structure that offers a marked increase in useful life and dirt capacity. In addition, the rigid nature means there is no flexing of the cartridge and greatly reducing media migration and particle unloading.
CERTIFICATIONS
USP Class VI: Meets USP Class VI Biological Test for Plastics
FDA Listed Materials: All materials comply with FDA Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations Sections 174.5, and 177.1520, as applicable for food and beverage contact.
SANITIZATION:
Hot water at 176°F (80°C) at 5 psid (0.35 bar) for 30 min
In-line steam at 257°F (125°C) at 1 psid (0.07 bar) for 30 min
Autoclavable at 257°F (125°C) for 30 min
Click here to download the product data sheet, or contact us to learn more.
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