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Today's Topic: Syrups
Presented by: Larry Reeves, Senior Applications Engineer

The dictionary defines Syrup as: "a thick sticky solution of sugar and water often flavored or medicated", or the concentrated juice of a fruit or plant".

There are many types of syrups used in the food, beverage and candy industries, as well as several in the pharmaceutical industry. Common types of syrups include:

• Beverage - simple (sweetener + water) & finished (flavor ingredients added)
• Corn - various grades and modifications, derived from cornstarch
• Fruit - for canned or frozen fruits, jellies and preserves
• Maple - natural, in various grades
• Table (or Pancake) - maple flavored + fruit flavors
• Toppings - fruit, caramel, chocolate, etc.
• Candy - to make caramels, nougats, chocolate, hard candies, etc.
• Medicine - cough & cold remedies

We usually think of syrups as adding sweetness to a product or food item, but they can also contribute functional attributes as well, such as: flavor carrying - allowing the flavor to spread and stay on the tongue longer for better adsorption by receptors; adding viscosity and body to products; as a natural preservative reducing water activity; and as a carrier for medicines to make them more palatable and to provide a soothing coating action.

Blended syrups in industry are usually concentrated and viscous, requiring low speed, gear drive mixers like the Rotomixx^® sanitary stainless steel mixers with high efficiency Jetfoil^™ impellers. Frozen fruit syrups containing ice crystals can be quickly made ready to use with a Rotosolver^® high shear emulsifier. Candy manufacturers use Rotosolvers to make fondants and marshmallows. Syrups can be accurately blended or diluted with Admixer^™ sanitary static mixers.

The Rotosolver® high shear batch emulsifier or DynaShear® in-line emulsifier are excellent for syrup make-up. These applications typically require:

• High flow
• High shear, for tougher ingredients
• Uniform blending
• Dispersing CMC into corn syrup

Admix has experience with all types of syrups requiring powerful low speed mixers or high speed, high-shear dispersers. We offer systems to entrain air or eliminate air while mixing. We can mix in-line continuously, in batch mode or use a combination of both.

Contact our application experts for help with sticky applications requiring crystal clear solutions. Bring us your mixing challenges, and we will recommend creative solutions... Please call our applications engineers at 800-466-2369 or email us at mixing@admix.com.

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