‘Corn Sugar’ Producers Hope You’ll Buy The New Name : NPR
Would “high fructose corn syrup” sound so sweet by any other name? The Corn Refiners Association sure hopes so. Last week, the industry group applied to the federal government for permission to use a new name for the ingredient on food labels: “corn sugar.”
Whether it’s called high fructose corn syrup or corn sugar, the ingredient makes up a significant part of Americans’ diets. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average American ate 35.7 pounds of high fructose corn syrup last year. That’s not such a surprise considering it’s used as a sweetener in everything from fruit-flavored drinks and energy bars to jams, yogurts and breads.Consumers Cut Back, Companies Follow
High fructose corn syrup became a popular choice for companies decades ago because it’s less expensive than traditional sugar and comes in a handy liquid form that makes it easy to use. But over the last few years, its reputation has taken a beating.
It started in 2004, when a widely read report suggested high fructose corn syrup was a major cause of the obesity epidemic.