Corn Syrup
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Oct 30, 2024.
Excipient (pharmacologically inactive substance)
What is it?
Corn is a common vegetable grown for a wide variety of uses. The stalk produces light-yellow to yellow ears which contain the grain - seeds called kernels. Corn, also known as maize outside the US, is a major livestock feed and food industry backbone. It is also processed into various forms, such as corn-derived proteins, corn starch, corn syrup, or corn syrup solids that may be used in the cosmetics or pharmaceutical industries. Corn sweeteners, such as high fructose corn syrup, are the most important refined corn products. Last year, corn sweeteners supplied more than 50 percent of the U.S. nutritive sweetener market. Corn oil, cornstarch, and cornmeal are also used in food products. Corn starch is a natural starch product that is derived from the corn kernel. It is a white to slightly yellowish fine powder commonly used in the food and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries. In the pharmaceutical industry it is used as a disintegrant and binder. Disintegrants enable tablets and capsules to break down into smaller fragments (dissolve) so that the drug can be released for absorption.[1] Corn starch is on the generally recognized as safe food substances list published by by the FDA.[2]Some words on labels that tell you corn may in a food are: dextrose, glucose, dextrin, maltodextrin, lecithin, fructose, high fructose, vegetable starch, thickeners, sweeteners, syrup, vegetable oil, maize, and sorbitol.[1][2][3]
Some examples of medications containing Corn Syrup
- Alavert (Orally Disintegrating) 10 mg
- Alka-Seltzer Fruit Chews (Antacid) calcium carbonate 750 mg
- Alka-Seltzer Heartburn + Gas ReliefChews Tropical Punch calcium carbonate 750 mg / simethicone 80 mg
- Gaviscon Extra Strength aluminum hydroxide 160 mg / magnesium carbonate 105 mg
- Mucinex Instasoothe Honey & Echinacea hexylresorcinol 2.4 mg
- Nicotine Polacrilex 2 mg
- Pepcid Complete (Tropical Fruit) famotidine 10 mg / calcium carbonate 800 mg / magnesium hydroxide 165 mg
- PreQue 10 prenatal nutrition with coq10 and lycopene
- Rolaids Ultra Strength Softchews (Orange) calcium carbonate 1330 mg / magnesium hydroxide 235 mg
- Rolaids Ultra Strength Softchews (Strawberry) calcium carbonate 1330 mg / magnesium hydroxide 235 mg
- Tums Chewy Bites calcium carbonate 750 mg
References
- [1]GSMMC. Sources of corn and corn by-products. Accessed March 28, 2014. http://www.gsmcweb.com/sources-of-corn-and-corn-by-products/
- [2]Dave RH. Overview of pharmaceutical excipients used in tablets and capsules. Drug Topics (online). Advanstar. 10/24/2008; http://drugtopics.modernmedicine.com/drugtopics/Top+News/Overview-of-pharmaceutical-excipients-used-intabl/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/561047. Accessed 08/19/2011.
- FDA’s SCOGS database; corn starch, Report No. 977050-51-3, 1979.; ID Code: 96; http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/fcn/fcnDetailNavigation.cfm?rpt=scogsListing&id=96. Accessed August 12, 2011
Further information
Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.