High fructose corn syrup

High fructose corn syrup (also known as glucose–fructose syrup and abbreviated as HFCS) is a sweetener made from corn starch. High fructose corn syrup is used in soft drinks, processed foods, cereal, yogurt and breakfast bars.

As in the production of conventional corn syrup, corn starch is broken down into glucose. To make HFCS, the corn syrup is further processed to convert some of its glucose into fructose (fruit sugar). This results in a balance of glucose and fructose similar to that of sucrose (table sugar).

History

High fructose corn syrup was first introduced during the late 1950s. It was first marketed in the United States in the early 1970s. Its use in the United States has grown, relative to sucrose, partly because of government subsidies for the production of corn.

Controversy

High fructose corn syrup has been linked to obesity, diabetes and other health problems.

However, an expert in food policy who is also a professor at New York University, cautioned that the study doesn't show that diabetes is caused by consumption of high-fructose corn syrup, … “I think it’s a stretch to say the study shows high-fructose corn syrup has anything special to do with diabetes," and that "diabetes is a function of development. The more cars, more TVs, more cellphones, more sugar, more meat, more fat, more calories, more obesity, the more diabetes you have."

An article in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition titled “Straight talk about high-fructose corn syrup: what it is and what it ain't” states:

“High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) ... is not meaningfully different in composition or metabolism from other fructose-glucose sweeteners like sucrose, honey, and fruit juice concentrates.”

The article goes on to state:

"Although there was considerable speculation in the 1980s that fructose was responsible for several metabolic anomalies, convincing proof that this was a significant health risk was never forthcoming."

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated:

"We are not aware of any evidence … that there is a difference in safety between foods containing [HFCS] and foods containing similar amounts of other nutritive sweeteners with approximately equal glucose and fructose content, such as sucrose, honey, or other traditional sweeteners. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that everyone limit consumption of all added sugars, including HFCS and sucrose. FDA participated in the development of the Dietary Guidelines and fully supports this recommendation."