High fructose corn syrup wants a new name, but it’s the same old junk

You’ve got to hand it to the Corn Refiners Association– they’re not going down without a fight.

Consumption of high fructose corn syrup is at a 20-year- low. And this is AFTER a high profile campaign of television ads that must have cost them millions.

But before CRA executives fill the lifeboats, they’re making one last ditch attempt to keep HFCS afloat.

They’ve asked the FDA to allow them to change the name of high fructose corn syrup to corn sugar.

All along they’ve made the claim that there’s really hardly any chemical difference at all between table sugar and HFCS. So their thinking obviously goes something like this: If they just call it corn sugar, everyone will forget about HFCS and start consuming corn sugar products.

Well…that might have worked 10 years ago before HFCS use was linked with possible mercury contamination and a higher risk of obesity. But at this point they could call it “sexy money sugar” and I don’t think it would make much difference.

But that doesn’t mean we should go down without a fight either. It’s obvious to me that the CRA is hoping they can trick people into continuing to use their unhealthy product with a makeover of sorts. So we need to let the FDA know that they shouldn’t let this pig put on any lipstick. You can e-mail your comments to [email protected].

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson

Sources:
“Change ‘High Fructose Corn Syrup’ Name To ‘Corn Sugar’ Industry Asks Regulators” Christian Nordqvist, Medical News Today, 9/14/10, medicalnewstoday.com