All the research linking high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) to the epidemic rates of diabetes and obesity, not to mention metabolic syndrome, in the U.S. has many Americans ditching the sweetener in favor of healthier alternatives. Now, with consumption of the corn sweetener at a 20-year low, the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) is taking action to revamp their prized glory’s tarnished image.
Last month, CRA petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to allow manufacturers the option of calling high-fructose corn syrup “corn sugar” on labels. The current name is “confusing to American consumers,” according to CRA, and labeling the sweetener as corn sugar “succinctly and accurately describes what this natural ingredient is and where it comes from — corn,” they noted.
But make no mistake, whether high-fructose corn syrup is rebranded as “corn sugar” or not, the fact still remains that it’s a substance you’re better off without.
Any type of sweetener can lead to insulin resistance, and later diabetes, when used in excess, which is why you should strive to keep high-fructose corn syrup, or corn sugar — or any sugar — to a minimum in your diet.
The FDA has six months to decide whether the term corn sugar will be allowed to stick around, and it could be another year or more after that before the term actually appears on food labels. The Corn Refiners Association, however, is not holding their breath … they’ve already started using the term in their extensive advertising campaigns.
PRNewsWire.com September 14, 2010
LiveScience.com September 14, 2010
NYTimes.com September 14, 2010
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