In an effort to help “clarify” the labeling of food products for consumers, the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday to allow manufacturers the option of using ‘corn sugar’ as an alternative name for high fructose corn syrup.
Consumers need to know what is in their foods and where their foods come from and we want to be clear with them,” said CRA president Audrae Erickson. “The term ‘corn sugar’ succinctly and accurately describes what this natural ingredient is and where it comes from – corn.”
Not so fast. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a manufactured product that doesn’t exist in nature, so if the CRA’s aim is to reduce consumer confusion, calling it a “natural ingredient” when it clearly isn’t suggests that there’s more to the story. And there is.
U.S. sales of HFCS have plummeted to a 20-year low as consumer concern that HFCS leads to obesity, particularly in children, has risen. According to the US Dept. of Agriculture, the average American intake of HFCS last year was 35.7 pounds – a decline of 21 percent from 45.4 pounds a decade ago.
While it is true that the 40-year period since HFCS was introduced correlates to a dramatic rise in childhood obesity, the position of the American Medical Association and others unrelated to the corn industry is that not enough studies have been conducted to determine whether HFCS is any more harmful to humans than sugars from other sources.*
Apparently the Corn Refiners Association thinks that rebranding their product will change public perception and thus thwart the decline in demand. In their position, I’d probably suggest the same, but the reality is more complex.
The problem is that HFCS is used in so many products as an inexpensive sweetener and/or preservative that it’s nearly unavoidable. While most of us know it’s in sodas, it’s also common in bread, breakfast cereals, candy, condiments, cookies and cakes, crackers and snacks, cough syrups, yogurt, ice cream and salad dressings — so most consumers aren’t aware they’re eating it.
Even as an increasing number in the food industry are abandoning HFCS and returning to the use of sugar in their products, at this point in time, it’s largely a public relations move that, in and of itself, isn’t likely to reduce obesity.
As the CRA correctly noted in its press release yesterday:
The last thing we want is for Americans to think that avoiding high fructose corn syrup is the answer,” said Registered Dietitian Carolyn O’Neil. “All added sugars should be consumed in moderation – corn sugar, table sugar, honey and fruit juice concentrates. These sugars contain an equal number of calories that must be burned off– or the body will convert them to fat.”
Rather than switching from a soda containing HFCS to one containing sugar, you’d be a lot better off cutting out the soda entirely and drinking water. It’s what your body really wants, it’s a lot more thirst quenching, and if you can carry a reusable water bottle, it’s cheaper and better for the environment, too.
If you’re concerned about the amount of high-fructose corn syrup or other sweeteners in your diet, consider these tips from the Mayo Clinic:
- Limit processed foods.
- Avoid foods that contain added sugar.
- Choose fresh fruit rather than fruit juice or fruit-flavored drinks. Even 100 percent fruit juice has a high concentration of sugar.
- Choose fruit canned in its own juices instead of heavy syrup.
- Drink less soda.
- Don’t allow sweetened beverages to replace milk, especially for children.
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* In January, 2009, the Washington Post cited two studies that reported finding mercury, a confirmed toxin, in samples of HFCS and products containing HFCS. Neither study was peer-reviewed, the results have not been replicated, and the mercury appeared to be introduced as part of poor quality control by some but not all refiners.
