High fructose corn syrup not so sweet, according to some food companies

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My comments are in purple. I will be thrilled when laws are passed that advertisements of any kind, must be honest.

http://eatdrinkandbe.org/article/index.0316_nut_hfcs

High fructose corn syrup not so sweet, according to some food companies

By Lucas

March 16, 2010

The popular yet controversial sweetener, high fructose corn syrup, may soon be taking a back seat to a more natural ingredient, as more and more companies switch to sugar to sweeten soda, cookies, condiments and cereals.

Big name products, including Kraft Food Inc.'s Wheat Thins, have begun to make the change in response to consumer demands for ingredients perceived as natural, according to The Wall Street Journal. A serving size, nine crackers, of Original Wheat Thins contains 4 grams of sugar.

High fructose corn syrup is a sweetener and preservative common in many food products due to its long shelf life and inexpensive cost. Research has yielded conflicting results concerning the effects of high fructose corn syrup; some studies show an association between increased consumption of sweetened beverages containing high fructose corn syrup and obesity. However, some experts say there is little nutritional difference between it and sugar, according to the Mayo Clinic. (Notice, they say "little nutritional difference", instead of mentioning the chemical properties.)

Despite cost differences, beginning in May, ConAgra Foods Inc. will start replacing the sweetener with sugar in its Hunt's tomato ketchup.

"That's what consumers are looking for—simpler ingredient listings and ingredients they are familiar with," ConAgra spokeswoman sen said to The Wall Street Journal.

ConAgra said consumers preferred the taste of the new product in tests.

Other companies are also jumping on the bandwagon. Kraft has taken high fructose corn syrup out of its 100-calorie pack Nabisco cookies, Wheat Thins and most salad dressings. PepsiCo is in the process of replacing high fructose corn syrup with sugar and other sweeteners in Gatorade products and has recently launched a limited-time, sugar-sweetened version of its drinks, called “Throwback”. According to Pepsi, many athletes prefer the idea of Gatorade without the sugar syrup.

To counter the recent sugar move, the Corn Refiners Association has launched an advertising and PR offensive in hopes of "dispelling the myth” that HFCS is less healthy than sugar. On its Web site, www.sweetsurprise.com, the association says high fructose corn syrup "is simply a kind of corn sugar. It has the same number of calories as sugar and is handled similarly by the body." (I bet they won't mention that HFCS has been shown to be addictive, leading to obesity and diabetes.)

Sources:

NACS Online. "Major brands no longer sweet on high-fructose corn syrup,"http://www.nacsonline.com/NACS/News/Daily/Pages/ND0316105.aspx; 16 March 2010.

The Wall Street Journal. "Sugar gains favor on labels," http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704706304575107560929031460.html?mod=WSJ_business_whatsNews; 08 March 2010.