No doubt, there’s been plenty of backlash against High Fructose Corn Syrup. And the Corn Refiners industry has been feeling it where it hurts: its pockets.
The guys and gals over at the Corn Refiners Association need to turn this idea of “bad” around. So rather than change their crappy product, they’ve hired a fancy marketing team to help give them a new, fresh spin. Hence, the birth of the ad campaign: “Sweet Surprise . . . providing factual information about high fructose corn syrup – an ingredient that’s more than just a natural sweetener.“ Because, you know, that really explains a lot. Enjoy your 30 seconds of greenwashing:
Let’s look back in time for a moment. In 1882, America saw the invention of corn syrup. Corn syrup is made through an enzymatic conversion of cornstarch, into a syrupy concoction that contains primarily glucose – the form of sugar the body uses as energy. Because of its relatively inexpensive cost, tastelessness and potent sweetness, corn syrup quickly became a vastly popular sweetener in foods throughout the world. Just about every product imaginable began to include it – from energy bars and bread, to soup and drinks.
In 1958, High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) was invented using different enzymes that converted the sugars into fructose instead of glucose. The advantages to this version included further inexpensiveness, and its ability to prevent drying and also preserve the product in which it was used as an ingredient. By the 1970′s, now notorious HFCS was the corn syrup cousin that had taken over the market.
Sweet Surprise claims that HFCS contains that same calories as sugar, and is a “natural” product derived from corn. Since that’s really all the good things they could come up with, the rest of their campaign is more an attempt to portray non-HFCS consumers as idiots.
Although Sweet Surprise attempts to make the product sound harmless and silly, High Fructose Corn Syrup is potentially an incredibly toxic ingredient. One of the reasons for this health hazard status its “high fructose” content: 42%-90% according to sources. Author and nutrition guru Dr. Weil explains, “Never before in history have so many people been consuming so much fructose. I am concerned about its possible disruptive effects on metabolism, including its potential to cause insulin resistance. Along with a growing number of experts, I believe that HFCS is a chief driver of the obesity epidemic in this country, particularly of childhood obesity. I deplore our government’s role in making HFCS so cheap through federal subsidies of corn production.” With sugar metabolism diseases like diabetes at an epic high (and rising), I’d say Dr. Weil is onto something.
Additionally, “natural” high fructose corn syrup was recently found to be contaminated with toxic mercury. Earlier this year, The Washington Post reported, “Almost half of tested samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contained mercury, which was also found in nearly a third of 55 popular brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first- or second-highest labeled ingredient, according to two new U.S. studies.” Although I wouldn’t tout cane sugar as “good,” it certainly does not contain mercury.
And of course, Sweet Surprise’s claim that “everything is ok in moderation” is ridiculous, as it’s very difficult to achieve moderation when HFCS is in just about every packaged food imaginable. The American consumer continues to enjoy an average of 12 teaspoons a day of HFCS syrup, with teenagers averaging up to 80% more.
I have nothing against the corn industry (when the corn grown is organically and non-genetically modified). What I take issue with is the refined and nutrient-void foods that are a result of the industry . . . and their damaging effects on our body. Meanwhile, there are a plethora of delicious, healthy, truly natural sweetener alternatives to be enjoyed — including agave nectar, stevia, palm sugar, and yacon syrup, just to name a few. They may cost a tad more than high fructose corn syrup, but they also come without the tax of long-term degenerative disease.
At the end of the day, I’d rather have my sweet WITHOUT the surprise.
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WELL SAID JULIE!!!!!
Thanks for this. It’s the same old tricks from the old guard right.? If they can’t tell you the GOOD in something being offered… you might as well make “other” look like an idiot. at least people are concerned enough that it is effecting the national ad campaigns…
keep up the great work
You know it Cole!
Loved this article, Julie. Thanks for bringing to our attention this latest stream of ads, as well as the factual information!
Nuts- Nuts-Nuts-Nuts- So thankfull I dont have to worry about eating that crap from anything I make from your recipies!!! The site is looking great Julie!!!
If it is the Fructose that makes HFCS so bad, then how exactly is Agave a better sweetener? Agave contains a lot more fructose then HFCS. Sources list agave as 70-90% fructose in agave. Just as much as HFCS. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agave_syrup http://www.naturalnews.com/024892_fructose_food_health.html
Hi Lisa,
Great comment/question – thanks for bringing this up. As you pointed out, agave nectar does contain just as much — if not more — fructose than high fructose corn syrup.
If every drop of HFCS on the grocery shelves was replaced with agave nectar or honey on a 1:1 ratio, from a fructose standpoint alone, there would be no benefit.
Yet here’s why I still choose agave over HFCS as a better choice:
1. Agave is a low glycemic index sweetener, with a substantially lower glycemic index than the “moderate GI” of HFCS (although both sweeteners vary in GI from source to source).
2. Agave is a non-genetically modified crop, and doesn’t require copious amounts of pesticides to grow even when produced non-organically.
3. Agave is much more easily digested than corn products. Many people have sensitivities or allergies to corn, making the ubiquitous nature of the ingredient a health detriment that is difficult to avoid. While I believe that corn is fine to consume on occasion and in small quantities, it is not a natural crop – making it difficult from a digestive standpoint.
4. Agave syrup also requires less processing than HFCS, making it healthier on the environment from an energy standpoint.
Fructose (aka fruit sugar) is found mainly in fruits, vegetables, and sweeteners like HFCS, agave nectar and honey. Of course, our increase in fructose is not because of America’s obsession with fruits, but instead because we put concentrated fructose as an ingredient in just about every other food we eat. I see the best-case scenario as using high-fructose foods like agave nectar for small-touch applications or special occasion desserts, and enjoying the bulk of our diet in the form of whole, plant-based foods in their natural state.
And just for the record, my favorite sweetener is stevia. ☺
What effect do digestives enzymes have on HFCS? Does an enzyme destroy and other enzyme?
“In 1958, High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) was invented using different enzymes that converted the sugars into fructose instead of glucose. The advantages to this version included further inexpensiveness, and its ability to prevent drying and also preserve the product in which it was used as an ingredient. By the 1970’s, now notorious HFCS was the corn syrup cousin that had taken over the market.”
Hi Art,
SInce the HFCS goes through a highly processed “food”, by the time the it hits the grocery shelves HFCS is void of any live enzymes at all (due to the heat that they are exposed to). Once consumed, our digestive enzymes will then work to break the fructose down into glucose – the form of sugar the body uses for energy.
Agave syrup might as well be called “high fructose cactus syrup” as it is generally about 90% fructose as well…
Great blog post – great information – it’s always helpful to examine the results (in this case a large increase in diabetes especially in young people) and what might me causing it – like way too much consumption of high fructose corn syrup in soft drinks. It’s a shame we really don’t have enough truthful information from the independent news agencies. It’s becoming and harder and harder to discern facts from fiction because of too much spin.
I just stumbled upon your article and will be bookmarking your site for future reference. I have a dilemma. Although I’ve spent the last five years of my life eating organic, non-GMO, minimally processed etc. where affordable, I recently discovered that I suffer from an overgrowth of Candida albicans and upon restructuring my diet accordingly, I have discovered two things: I am intolerant of dairy (cow, so far) and I am intolerant of/allergic to stevia. I want to use Yacon syrup in my baking but can’t seem to find a conversion chart. Do you have any advice? Please respond to my email if possible. Thanks.
Yacon syrup is not as sweet as cane sugar. If you’ve ever used agave nectar or maple syrup in a recipe, you can assume that you’ll have to use about double the amount of yacon syrup . . . but it really does depend on the recipe. Yacon works really well with fruits or “fruity” baked goods, in sauces, and in smoothies. It doesn’t pair very well with chocolate, from my experience. You might also want to investigate Jerusalem Artichoke Syrup — harder to find, but another low glycemic natural sweetener option.
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