The longer you’re vegan, the more hidden animal ingredients you become aware of. If you were surprised to learn that conventional white sugar isn’t vegan (at least in the United States), you may be wondering whether other sweeteners are made with animal products.
Corn syrup is a common sweetener used in many processed foods, but is corn syrup vegan? To answer this question, we have to consider what it’s made from and how it’s processed.
What is corn syrup?
Corn syrup is a liquid sweetener made from corn. More specifically, corn syrup is made using cornstarch as the starting ingredient.
During the production process, the carbohydrate chains in cornstarch are broken down into smaller sugar molecules, which taste much sweeter than cornstarch. This can be done using a combination of heat and acid, or with acid and enzymes.
Corn syrup is commonly used as a sweetener in desserts, baked goods (pecan pie, anyone?), jams, candy, and soft drinks.
Is corn syrup vegan?
Yes, corn syrup is considered vegan-friendly since it’s produced from cornstarch, a plant-based food. Unlike conventional (non-organic) table sugar made from sugar cane, corn syrup isn’t filtered through animal bone char for purification.
Additionally, the enzymes used in the production of corn syrup are overwhelmingly sourced from microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, or plants. While these enzymes can be sourced from animals, it’s much easier and more cost-effective to use microbial fermentation to produce them in the large quantities needed for industrial food production.
In support of this, a 2018 paper1 describing the use of starch-modifying enzymes in the baking industry discusses the differences between plant and microbial enzymes but makes no mention of animal-derived enzymes.
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Is corn syrup unhealthy?
Corn syrup is indeed a sweetener and must be labeled as added sugars when used to sweeten food products that have a nutrition facts label. It’s important not to consume too many added sugars in general, whether from corn syrup, white sugar, or natural sweeteners like maple syrup or agave.
This is why the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting your intake of added sugars to 10% of your total daily calories, or about 200 calories (about 12 teaspoons of added sugars) for a 2,000-calorie diet. Similarly, the American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to 6% of your daily calories.
A small amount of added sugars, especially when consumed in the context of a balanced, nutrient-dense diet, is unlikely to cause health problems in most people. This is why these organizations don’t instruct us to completely avoid eating any sugar at all.
The takeaway? Corn syrup isn’t any worse than other sweeteners, but it’s still important not to overdo it. Some helpful ways to reduce your consumption of corn syrup include:
- Drinking smaller portions of soda or drinking it less frequently
- Replacing soda with fruit-flavored iced teas, unsweetened flavored sparkling water, or diet soda
- Choosing jams and jellies sweetened with fruit juice
- Making your own jam at home
- Being mindful of dessert portion sizes
Non-vegan sweeteners
While corn syrup is vegan, not all sweeteners fit within a vegan diet. These are listed here:
- Honey – Honey is produced by bees, an insect and type of animal. Vegans avoid eating anything derived from animals.
- White sugar – Especially in the US, white table sugar is filtered through animal bone char to remove impurities, making it inappropriate for vegan diets. This doesn’t apply to sugar that is labeled organic or raw.
- Brown sugar – When made from conventional (non-organic or raw) white sugar, brown sugar is not vegan-friendly.
- Confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar) – Filtered through animal bone char
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Vegan sweeteners list
Fortunately, many other sweeteners are available to vegans with a sweet tooth. These include:
- Agave nectar
- Organic sugar
- Organic brown sugar
- Organic confectioner’s sugar
- Raw sugar
- Molasses
- Brown rice syrup
- Beet sugar
- Date sugar
- Date syrup
- Piloncillo
- Coconut sugar
- Stevia
- Monk fruit
- Erythritol
- Corn syrup
- High-fructose corn syrup
- Golden syrup (made in the UK)
- Maple syrup*
- Yacon root syrup
*Some maple syrup producers use defoaming agents derived from animal fats, so certain brands may not be vegan-friendly. However, these fats aren’t listed in the ingredients, so it can be hard to tell which products are okay.
Organic maple syrup, at least when produced in Vermont, Maine, and Canada, is more likely to be vegan, as guidelines in these states only allow vegetable oils to be used as defoaming agents in organic maple syrup. Additionally, many maple syrup producers use enclosed kettles, removing the need for defoaming agents.
RELATED: Is Stevia Vegan? Is It Healthy?
Summary
Corn syrup may not be a health food, but vegans can consume it with a clear conscience. It isn’t filtered through animal bone char, and the enzymes used in its industrial production are overwhelmingly sourced from microbes or plants, not from animals.
FAQs
Is high fructose corn syrup vegan?
Yes, high fructose corn syrup is vegan. It’s produced by breaking cornstarch down into smaller sugar molecules using glucose isomerase, an enzyme that converts glucose into a mixture of glucose and fructose. This enzyme is sourced from microbes2, not animals.
What syrup is vegan friendly?
Vegan-friendly syrups include:
- Corn syrup
- High-fructose corn syrup
- Date syrup
- Maple syrup (caution: a lot of maple syrup is vegan, but some manufacturers may use defoamers derived from animal fats)
Is Karo syrup vegan?
Karo Light Corn Syrup is vegan, as it’s made from corn. Typically, corn syrup isn’t filtered through animal bone char like conventional cane sugar is. Karo Dark Corn Syrup is also vegan since it’s made from corn syrup and molasses, which isn’t typically processed with bone char either.
The scientific information in this article was accurate at the time of publishing but may change over time as new research becomes available.
References
- Park SH, Na Y, Kim J, Kang SD, Park KH. Properties and applications of starch modifying enzymes for use in the baking industry. Food Sci Biotechnol. 2017;27(2):299-312. Published 2017 Dec 12. doi:10.1007/s10068-017-0261-5
- Nam KH. Glucose Isomerase: Functions, Structures, and Applications. Applied Sciences. 2022; 12(1):428. https://doi.org/10.3390/app12010428
