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Consumerman.com
After 20 months of review, the Food and Drug Administration has denied a petition from the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) to use the term “corn sugar” as another name for high-fructose corn syrup.
Corn refiners have argued that people are confused by the term high-fructose corn syrup because they believe it has more calories, fructose and sweetness than sugar. The industry’s petition to the FDA said corn sugar more accurately describes their product because it has the same ratio of fructose and glucose as sugar and is metabolized by the body in the same way.
The agency said it did not find “sufficient grounds” to authorize the name change. In a letter to the president of the Corn Refiners Association, FDA’s Michael Landa says “sugar is a solid, dried, and crystallized food” while syrup is a liquid food. In other words, corn syrup is not solid, so it can’t be called sugar.
Audrae Erickson, president of the Corn Refiners Association, released a statement saying the FDA denied the petition on narrow, technical grounds.
“They did not address or question the overwhelming scientific evidence that high fructose corn syrup is a form of sugar and is nutritionally the same as other sugars,” she writes. “The fact remains – which FDA did not challenge – that the vast majority of American consumers are confused about HFCS.”
In 2008, the corn refiners launched a multi-million dollar advertising and marketing campaign designed to convince consumers that sugar and HFCS are identical. The message was “sugar is sugar” and the ads encouraged people to learn more at CornSugar.com and SweetSurprise.com.
Related story: Consumer groups sour on 'corn sugar' change
The FDA was not happy with this and asked the refiners to modify statements that used the term corn sugar.
U.S. sugar farmers and refiners responded by filing a lawsuit which is still pending. Dan Callister, an attorney for the Sugar Association, calls the FDA’s ruling a victory for American consumers.
“It reaffirms what most consumer advocates, health experts and policy officials have been saying all along: only sugar is sugar,” he said in a statement. “The next step is for a federal court to end CRA’s misleading propaganda campaign."
Is the wide-spread use of high-fructose corn syrup in all sorts of processed foods to blame for America’s obesity epidemic? Scientists disagree on that.
A 2008 report by the American Medical Association concludes that it is "unlikely" that high-fructose corn syrup contributes more to obesity or other conditions than sucrose.
But a 2011 study cited by the sugar industry from the journal Metabolism concludes that fructose corn syrup leads to "significantly different acute metabolic effects" than plain sugar.
Related stories:
High fructorse corn syrup, by any other name
Corn sugar is false advertising, FDA warns
Leave a Comment:
I say we rebrand it MEPM! (Monster Evil Poison Muwuahahahaha!).
Are we bucking for a "clear slime" label here? WTF? Can't they be satisfied with calling it what it is? They already have enough enemies as it is.
No, we're not. They're just trying to change the name because we've learned to associate HFCS with obesity. I go out of my way to avoid products that have this crap in them.
It's not HFCS causing obesity. It's calorie imbalance and sedentary lifestyle. When a person drinks a can of full-calorie soda, they're getting about 40 grams of sugar. It wouldn't matter if it was made with cane sugar or HFCS, that's still 160 calories. Now think about how people drink significantly more than 12 oz. Think about Big Gulps and super-sized sodas from McDonalds. Calories consumed > calories burned.
http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/91/22K07/
It may not be a cause, but it's probably exacerbating it.
No Matt, it's not about "calorie imbalance and sedentary lifestyle", it is all about the metabolic / insulin effects of the grains, sugars (including corn syrup), starches and other high insulin foods that have been encouraged for the last 30 years. I suggest you do some serious reading on the latest control studies before you continue to spread false info. Folks need science and facts, not regurgitated nonsense that has been part of causing this very serious health issue.
There was a guy who opened up "Diabetic's Sweet Shop" using fructose and claiming it wasn't sugar. Well maybe not, but it isn't what name you call it that really matters, it is how it is metabolized. Starches have to be counted by diabetics as well as they convert to sugar. The problem isn't what is eaten but how much is eaten. Like lean textured beef, what it really is is the problem, not what it is called. Correct labeling is important and corn sugar is meant to deceive. Adding heat to the HFCS argument is just stupid.
Lunatoo, Mark is not "spreading false info". It is true that it is more than just calorie imbalance and sedentary lifestyle but in general, that will sum it up nicely. Metabolic / insulin effects are effected by obesity, sedentary lifestyle, lack of physical exercise, hypertension, high triglyceride levels, low HDL, etc. These ARE related to calories, what type of calories, and lifestyle. (Also genetics, family history, GI pathologies, infections, ...) We are not writing scientific articles, just comments, and if you look at America's population today, calories and lifestyle would appear to be the main difference between us and other countries, or us 50 years ago.
Yes, it is false. For the most part, it's still the conventional "wisdom", however and THAT is false. You also have most of your info backwards, like so many do. The big difference between us and other countries, like France for instance, or between us and ourselves 30 years ago, is the types of food we are eating. Please watch some very compelling lectures, just to whet your appetite to find out more. Because there is more...much more, now available. Including real control studies. Here's three great items to start:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSeSTq-N4U4&list=FLb_O6YavWL520VdJuzNBOzw&index=9&feature=plpp_video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTUspjZG-wc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eREuZEdMAVo&list=FLb_O6YavWL520VdJuzNBOzw&index=6&feature=plpp_video
People just LOVE to feel superior by telling others they are lazy or gluttons and the last thing they want to hear is that it's not true and they are simply lucky in not having metabolic syndrome themselves.
People will continue to get fat and diabetic, while eating what they are told, by their doctors and the government, is healthy, until the truth comes out.
Start with just those Youtube videos. Then research those speakers, then Google the latest low carb studies....keep reading. Then stop giving people the wrong advice.
A decade ago, few Asians were obese...
With the invasion of western foods - soda, fried foods, & Pizza, obese Asians are now common. Both in the cities and farming areas, so you can not blame it on a sedentary lifestyle...
BTY - They are still eating the rice, unprocessed foods, and fresh veggies. Their regular diet does not include many sugary foods or cereals. But with their higher disposable income, their treats are now the western foods, with the HFCS...
I even have problems now buying pancake syrup, as most of the light syrups are no longer pure corn syrup, but have added hfcs to the mix for a sweeter, thinner syrup. The only one I have found so far that is truly corn SYRUP is Karo. The easy way to tell is that the stuff with the hfcs runs and pours almost like water, instead of more like molasses.
Because of the subsidies corn farmers get (both direct and via tax/export incentives), HFCS is cheaper than real sugar. Because HFCS is cheaper, manufacturers put it into everything, cheaply. Look at ingredients, you will find it in pasta sauce, soda, ice cream, candy, chips, you don't have to look far to find HFCS.
Soda and other items sweetened with cane or "real" sugar has a different taste. The essential ingredients of the product are not overwhelmed by the #1 ingredient in many products, HFCS. Mt. Dew has a "throw-back" version and Sprite has a version made with sugar. Coke still uses sugar in its plants in Mexico. Try the original version without the HFCS and you will notice a crisper, cleaner taste.
Many people and companies are realizing there is a qualitative difference in the flavor and are switching back to real sugar. In these times of government downsizing, the HFCS manufacturers are realizing their free ride on the backs of taxpayers may be coming to an end and were trying to set up some confusion for buyers. I guess the FDA wasn't fooled by the PR campaign.
If the people who make sweetener out of corn want "corn sugar", I guess they'll have to make their sweetener a dry, hard, crystal. Of course, doing so would probably cost money and that's what this PR stunt was all about anyway.
Lookie here Mr. Audrae Erickson of the Corn Refiners Association.... we are not confused. HFCS is NOT a sugar and we don't want it labeled as such.... you on the other hand have been trying to blur the lines for some time now but regardless....its not sugar and we are not confused about that. Consumers want to know what FACTUALLY is in our food... get with the program already.
Sorry dan, HFCS is sugar. Lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, dextrose, etc are all sugars. I've seen reputable studies support HFCS as the same metabolically to cane and fruit derived sugars and those against it.
My big issue is that while it is sugar, this move is trying to confuse consumers who are trying to avoid HFCS. Whether right or wrong in their beliefs of HFCS vs sucrose, people should have freedom of choice without labels that try to confuse.
Sugar is sugar no matter what you call it. The chemical compounds define the product, not whether it is granular or a liquid.
WAFWOT
Well, Richard, I guess the FDA is saying that from a food label perspective, syrup is a liquid and a sugar is a crystalline solid. Since a liquid is not a crystalline solid, high fructose corn syrup is not a sugar.
My guess is that part of making HFCS will now involve an evaporation process where HFCS becomes solid state, thus allowing the name change on appeal.
Too costly. Evaporation uses a ton of energy.
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Well, they got it on a technicality but HFCS is crap and I don't really know about anyone else, but ever since I made a conscious effort to cut it out of my diet, I feel a lot better. I also don't drink soda often and eat organic based food, but I will drink a Pepsi or Mountain Dew Throwback with no impunity and I do believe they taste better than the sodas with HFCS.
CJ,
My digestive tract can also tell a difference. One thing I noticed when I switched to throwback Mountain Dew over the regular is that I don't crave more of it. In fact sometimes I don't even finish a can and I don't notice that I didn't finish it. The corn syrup ones used to make me want to pop open another.
I'm not saying sweets are good for me but my gut feels better when the sweetener isn't HFCS.
That is interesting to hear. My body can tell the difference, too (in my case it's my joints) and I wonder what really is going on. Obviously, there is more to HFCS than just its metabolic profile.
After passing a kidney stone, that had DrPepper written on it. I stopped drinking the 2+liter a day habit...
I switched to water and real fruit juices/wo the additives, though I still eat the regular junk foods, Pizza, cookies, and a occasional beer. I dropped 25+lbs...
I now weight the same as when I graduated from PI in 1972, just carry it a little lower... Ha! Ha!
The vast majority of farm subsidies go to junk food ingredients. That is why Americans are getting so fat. Also, the fastest growth in American weight took place when our government was advising us to stuff ourselves with multiple helpings of carbs every day.
End farm subsidies. End programs that tell Americans what to eat. Repeal laws that require people to have special licenses to give out dietary advice. This tragedy is the fault of government.
We got fat when service jobs behind a computer became normal. If you sit behind a computer all day you are far more likely to be obese than in an job requiring manual labor.
oops.. didn't mean to put the word 'no' in front of impunity. Sorry all.
Now it's looking like the high fructose corn syrup industry shall become an additive to the ranks of the unemployed.
Fructose is a sugar. Anything that ends with -ose is form of sugar. This includes sucrose, gluctose, lactose, and maltose. Sucrose is what most people call sugar. Fructose is popular for use in homebrewing beer, because it ferments without imparting cidery flavors like sucrose does. Fructose has its uses, but the corn growers need to be more honest about it.
What about morose, moose, loose, goose, choose, dose.... I could go on, but the point is sugar is a crystal solid, syrup is a liquid.
The corn sweetener industry (ADM and the like) was just trying to pull a fast one on consumers and the FDA said 'NO"
important is the fact that "corn sugar" is already an FDA-approved alternative name for dextrose monohydrate (a crystaline form). So, how can the FDA name HFCS as corn sugar. Wouldn't that then be a problem for labeling? How would a consumer know if the ingrediant was dextrose monohydrate or HFCS if HFCS was also allowed to use "corn sugar?"
just stop subsidizing corn and there dam syrup will dry up all by itself. you're paying tax to let them make you a product to make you fat <-- that's corn subsidy in one sentence
I was appalled by the HFCS industry's nationally televised commercials. It felt like the government was saying to the public: eat this stuff 'cause WE told you it is GOOD for you. Like we are mindless robots to be programmed to consume what the gov'mint tells us to. I avoid it like the plague and have found that was easier to lose weight after eliminating it from my diet. I am now in the normal weight range for my height.
Those ads were propaganda, pure and simple. The same goes for those fracking ones.
Fructose is metabolized by animal/human cells differently from glucose. Glucose is the primary metabolic sugar in your body that is used for energy production and its level in the blood is regulated by insulin. Recent research (see The Journal of Clinical Investigation, volume 119, May 2009, p.1322, which was the cover article for that issue) showed that dietary "consumption of fructose-sweetened but not glucose-sweetened beverages for 10 weeks increased de novo lipogenesis (new fat production), promoted dyslipidemia (abnormal blood fat profiles), decreased insulin sensitivity (a characteristic of Type 2 Diabetes mellitus), and increased visceral adiposity (a risk factor for heart attacks) in overweight/obese adults (which most Americans are). One could conclude that consuming anything high in fructose (e.g. HFCS) has risks for your health that you may want to avoid.
Following the political science logic of the FDA-once sugar is disolved in water, tea or anything else it
is no longer sugar. So it must not be a factor in causing obesity. FRUCTOSE is a form of sugar and is
the type of sugar found in FRESH FRUIT as well as corn.
Along with lactose and glucose. the OSE on the end should give the FDA morons a clue.
A molecule of high fructose corn syrup, and the molecules of sugar are identical, enough said.
Well Morlack, you need to retake your chemistry/biochemistry courses. HFCS is a mixture of molecules that is higher in fructose than cane sugar. Fructose is a monosaccharide - a single molecule. Sucrose is a disaccharide - one molecule of glucose joined to one molecule of fructose. Maybe if you use a time machine, you can also review your spelling of Morlock.
Tom, when you go into a diabetic coma, you can tell the "FDA morons" you are comatOSE.
Dear diabetics
I'm sorry you have diabetes but quit trying to tell me what I can eat.
Does the FDA even know how sugar is processed and shipped? In most cases, it is shipped in bulk form as a liquid - actually a "slurry" - in which sugar is mixed with water to the point where it can be pumped, and then shipped in tanker trucks and train cars. Although the water is removed at the other end, according to the FDA's position on this, it would not actually be considered "sugar" during transit.
a yellowish to white, crystalline, water-soluble, levorotatory ketose sugar, C 6 H 12 O 6 , sweeter than sucrose, occurring in invert sugar, honey, and a great many fruits: used in foodstuffs and in medicine chiefly in solution as an intravenous nutrient.
When sugar melts, is it still sugar. Fancy names for products certain to confuse the public.
HFC has enough issues that have been shown in studies to have myself and many other people just refuse to eat or drink anything that contains it.
However, perhaps the bigger problem for fat people isn't just HFC being what it is - its that it is in SO much stuff (I won't even call a lot of it food) that it adds crap calories, spikes insulin (which helps to store body fat more efficiently) and makes people expect everything to be "sweet" such that when people actually eat something like an orange, well, I have seen people sprinkle sugar on an orange because they don't think its sweet enough - dear lord!
the feds would say anything for the cut of the pie lol
sugar is not just sugar. Different types of sugar make your blood sugar spike while others don't. I'm hypoglycemic and while both cane sugar and corn syrup are bad, corn syrup is the worst by far.
I know my body can tell the difference between HFCS and anything else I've ever eaten. I get a really excruciating flare of arthritis pain and I had no choice but to go through a long and boring process of getting this ingredient out of my diet. Obviously, there is more to HFCS than just its metabolic profile.
Sure is ZeeZee! The type of sugar breakdown in HFCS is close to that of Agave.. both higher in fructose, which 75sh% is sent directly to the liver for digestion so there's minimal insulin response. Think high tryglycerides instead of insulin surge. And interestingly, our bodies do NOT differentiate if a sugar is processed or natural once it's removed the trace elements in natural sugar, which takes minutes not hours. Pain resulting from all sugar and starchy carbs incorporates other mechanisms in our body well beyond insulin and liver involvement.
Of course, high fructose corn syrup is sugar! Sucrose, fructose, glucose, mannose etc. are all sugars. The Feds, if they declare otherwise, are just being obtuse. Sucrose is gluco-fructose.
HFCS is not sucrose, which, if you check is the only sugar the government considers 'sugar'. That is why just about ALL products that are made that say 'sugar-free' or 'no added sugar', ALL have added sugar.
Well, zeezeee, the inflammation caused by the abnormal metabolic profile could be spilling over onto your arthritic areas and causing them to flare up.
That is simply weird: sugars are a class of chemicals, not their physical state. In the end, whether the sugars were added as a corn syrup, or as a solid, they are delivered as glucose and fructose solutions in the final product. Instead of having lots of names for imprecise mixes, just state contents include glucose and fructose.