High Fructose Corn Syrup Rebrands as "Corn Sugar"
Don't call it high fructose corn syrup: its new name is corn sugar. The Corn Refiners Association has decided to rebrand the much-maligned sweetener after the onslaught of bad press its received.
The CRA's new website, cornsugar.com, explains the reasoning behind the name change: "The name 'corn sugar' more accurately reflects the source of the food (corn), identifies the basic nature of the food (a sugar), and discloses the food's function (a sweetener)."
Of course, we all know the real reason is to convince everyone that "corn sugar" is much healthier than HFCS, and to stall, for as long as possible, the public's realization that they're actually the same thing.
It's true that research is still ongoing as to whether HFCS - sorry, "corn sugar" - is really that much worse for you than regular table sugar, but rebranding the stuff isn't going to address the real issue in this country, which is the obesity epidemic.
The key is moderation for all sugars. What's not going to help this cause? Corn companies attempting to deceive us as to exactly what sugars we're really putting in our bodies.
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We don’t call table sugar “high fructose beet polysaccharide” because we know even though it came from a beet, it’s just “sugar.” High fructose corn syrup is called “high fructose” because it has more fructose than regular corn syrup. But the “high fructose” in the name leads people to assume that the syrup is somehow high in fructose-- which it actually isn’t. It has roughly the same amount of fructose as beet/cane sugar, and the “ongoing studies” you mention have, to date, turned up nothing but trumped-up headlines and bad science .
LOL! I mentioned this at dinner last night. My six year old son said, "They're just doing that because they want to fool people and make them drink high fructose corn syrup even if it's unhealthy."
It just won't wash. The word is out on HFCS or "Corn Sugar" or whatever title the corn processing industry wants to slap on it.
People can see there is a relationship between this product and the rise in Type 2 diabetes . We won't be fooled.
This is a predictable attempt at obfuscation by corn manufacturers and those who make heavy use of HFCS. Will it work? Likely for a few years.
This will not resolve the underlying issues with our societies excessive use of sugar in our foods.