ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the carbon treatment of carbohydrates and other noncarbohydrate polyhydroxylated substances. The family of carbohydrates includes natural polyhydroxylated substances applied primarily as sweeteners. The decolorization of carbohydrates is the oldest activated carbon application. Charcoal was used for color removal in starch hydrolysates as early as the fifteenth century. It was “rediscovered” in 1785 for the purification of tartaric acid. Starch is a common starting material for numerous carbohydrate products. Steam activation and chemical activation of the activated carbons are evaluated and correlated to adsorption tests that offer an explanation of the performance of carbon in decolorization. Traditional high-fructose corn syrup production involves two product processing steps. The processing step purifies dextrose for commercial use and/or conversion to fructose by enzymic isomerization. Dextrin may be roasted and incubated with a-amylase to prepare dietary fibers having low digestibility. Purification was accomplished by adsorption onto activated carbon and/or ion exchange resin.
