Public relations of high fructose corn syrup facts for kids

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a common sweetener. It is used in many foods and drinks. For a long time, some people, especially the sugar industry, have claimed that HFCS causes health problems. They say this even though scientists have not found strong proof that HFCS is different from regular sugar in terms of nutrition. The HFCS industry has tried to respond to these claims.

What is "Natural" Labeling?

In 2006, a group called the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) wanted to sue Cadbury Schweppes. This was because Cadbury Schweppes labeled its drink, 7 Up, as "All Natural" or "100% Natural." However, 7 Up contained high-fructose corn syrup.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. does not have a clear definition for "natural" food. But, the FDA does say that "natural flavoring" can come from plants. At that time, the FDA did not object to calling HFCS "natural."

The CSPI argued that HFCS is not "natural." They said this because it goes through a lot of processing. Also, at least one genetically modified (GMO) enzyme is used to make it. In 2007, Cadbury Schweppes agreed to stop calling 7 Up "all natural." Now, they label it "100% Natural Flavors."

HFCS Advertisements Explained

In 2008, the Corn Refiners Association started showing TV ads in the United States. These ads tried to convince people that HFCS was okay. They said that HFCS:

• "is made from corn."
• "is natural." (They used to say "doesn't have artificial ingredients.")
• "has the same calories as sugar or honey."
• "is nutritionally the same as sugar."
• "is fine in moderation."

The ads showed happy families with sugary foods. One actor would question the HFCS content, but couldn't explain why. Another actor would then share the claims from the Corn Refiners Association. The ads always told people to visit the association's website.

In 2010, new ads from the Corn Refiners Association came out. These ads showed parents walking in a corn field. They talked about being confused by information about HFCS. They said they talked to "medical and nutrition experts." These experts told them, "Whether it's corn sugar or cane sugar, your body can't tell the difference."

Michael F. Jacobson, who leads the Center for Science in the Public Interest, called these ads "deceptive." He explained that HFCS starts as cornstarch. This starch is changed using chemicals or enzymes into glucose. Then, another enzyme changes some of the glucose into fructose. He said, "High-fructose corn syrup just doesn't exist in nature."

However, Jacobson also said that the idea of HFCS being especially harmful is a "myth." He stated, "Nutritionally, high-fructose corn syrup and sucrose may be identical."

Many foods in the U.S. contain HFCS, especially those for children. This makes it hard to eat HFCS in moderation. Time magazine said, "unless you're making a concerted effort to avoid it, it's pretty difficult to consume high-fructose corn syrup in moderation."

Companies Switching Back to Sugar

In 2009, The New York Times reported that some food companies and restaurants were using regular sugar again. They did this to attract customers who wanted to avoid high-fructose corn syrup.

For example, Jason's Deli, a chain of restaurants, switched from HFCS to sugar in most of its products. A spokesman for the deli chain, Daniel Helfman, said that part of this was a "huge rebellion against HFCS." He also noted that taste was a factor.

PepsiCo released "throwback" versions of Mountain Dew and Pepsi-Cola. These drinks were made to taste like they did in the 1960s and 1970s. They used sugar instead of HFCS. PepsiCo said that HFCS and sugar are "essentially the same." They only used sugar to match the old taste.

Dr Pepper also released a "heritage" version in 2009. It used the original recipe with beet sugar instead of HFCS. The Dr Pepper bottling plant in Dublin, Texas, has used the original formula with Imperial Cane Sugar since 1891. Also, many Coca-Cola plants in Europe and one in Pennsylvania use sucrose (regular sugar). Coca-Cola imported from Mexico often uses sucrose and is becoming more popular in the U.S.

In 2010, Hunt's removed HFCS from its ketchup because customers preferred it without. However, they later put HFCS back in. Heinz now sells "Simply Heinz" ketchup, which is made with sugar instead of HFCS.

Many nutrition experts and a growing number of people in the U.S. believe HFCS has harmful health effects. This has led to more processed foods being changed to remove HFCS. Sales of HFCS dropped by 9% from 2007 to 2009. Some health concerns linked to high intake include weight gain, type-2 diabetes, high "bad" cholesterol, liver damage, and mercury exposure.

Ivan Royster started a Facebook page to ban HFCS in the U.S. His page has over 190,000 fans. An article in Organic Connections magazine covered his efforts and the Corn Refiners Association's response.

Proposed Name Change to "Corn Sugar"

In 2010, the Corn Refiners Association asked for permission to call high-fructose corn syrup "corn sugar" on food labels in the United States. Audrae Erickson, president of the association, said they wanted to be clear with consumers. She stated, "The term 'corn sugar' accurately describes what this natural ingredient is and where it comes from – corn." However, they did not explain how this would be different from what the FDA already calls corn sugar, like dextrose or other corn sugars such as corn syrup and maltodextrin.

TIME magazine suggested that the Corn Refiners Association wanted to change the name because HFCS had a bad reputation. The New York Times asked nutrition experts for their ideas on new names for HFCS. Three of the five experts suggested different names. Michael Pollan suggested "enzymatically altered corn glucose." Dr. Andrew Weil thought the name should stay HFCS. He called "corn sugar" "too vague" and the association's attempt to change the name "Orwellian" (meaning controlling language to hide truth). However, Dr. Barry Popkin felt that "corn sugar" was a good term.

On May 31, 2012, the FDA rejected the request to change the name. The FDA said that sugar is a "solid, dried and crystallized food." Syrup, on the other hand, is a "liquid food." Also, "corn sugar" was already approved as another name for dextrose. Dextrose has been used in food since the 1970s.

The FDA also worried about people with hereditary fructose intolerance or fructose malabsorption. These people are told to avoid ingredients with fructose. They know that "corn sugar" (dextrose) is safe for them, but HFCS is not. Changing the name of HFCS to "corn sugar" could put these people at risk.