C☆Dex® Dextrose
Sugars are an important source of energy, essential for our body and brain to function optimally. Dextrose is a sugar occurring widely in nature – in honey and many fruits for example. As a constituent of cellulose, starch and glycogen, it is found in all plants and animals and is also known as ‘grape sugar’ or ‘blood sugar’.
C✩Dex® dextrose, which is derived from corn starch, has become a vital ingredient in a wide range of food and beverage applications, thanks to its functional, sensory and nutritional properties. Often used in combination with sugar or other sweeteners, it shortens the sweetness perception and enhances the original food and beverage flavors.
Nutritional properties
Dextrose, just like sucrose and other full caloric sweeteners – has a caloric value of 4 Kcal/g, producing a rapid glycemic response. It provides an immediate source of energy for the organs, muscles and brain.
Sweetening properties
With a relative sweetness ranging between 70 and 80 versus sucrose, C✩Dex is one of the sweetest starch-based sweeteners.
Functional properties
C✩Dex dextrose is one of the most versatile sweeteners, and is used for freezing point depression in ice cream, browning in bread and biscuits, flavor enhancement in chocolate milk beverages, dispersibility in powder mixes and texture optimization to name but a few.
Cargill offers dextrose monohydrate and anhydrous dextrose, available in a variety of particle size distributions and granulometry to provide ease and stability of blending, to meet your needs. Besides food grade, Cargill also offers pharma and feed grade dextrose monohydrate.
Characteristics
- Relative sweetness of 70-80 versus sucrose
- Not subject to sugar inversion
- Mild negative heat of solution
- High fermentability
- Reducing sugar
- Good solubility
- Low molecular weight
Production process
Dextrose is a synonym of D-glucose and refers to the pure, crystalline monosaccharide obtained after a total hydrolysis of corn starch. It exists in 2 forms, dextrose monohydrate which contains one molecule crystal water in contrast to anhydrous dextrose, which contains none. Both forms are available as a white, crystalline powder of high purity.
EU Labeling & Legislation
Dextrose is regulated under the EC Directive 2001/111/EC relating to certain sugars intended for human consumption.
We recommend including ‘dextrose monohydrate’ and ‘anhydrous dextrose’ as "dextrose" in the ingredient declaration on the labels of finished foods and beverages.
Sustainable Corn
Cargill’s sustainably sourced corn supports customers’ sustainability commitments and provides assurance to consumers increasingly seeking sustainably sourced products.