Changing Glucose to Sweet Fructose Technology for Manufacturing a Natural Sweetener (1965)
"Is it possible to make a natural sweetener from sweet potatoes?" In the 1960s, research began in Japan to transform glucose, which is made from sweet potatoes that could be harvested abundantly at the time, to fructose, which is sweeter. The key behind this was the enzyme "glucose isomerase." The Institute for Fermentation developed this technology in 1965 and acquired a patent. This patent was also exported overseas, and served as a pioneer for technology to manufacture natural sweeteners, based on which the use of inexpensive and safe sweeteners spread throughout the world.