Corn Syrup Seeks a New Name

 In May 2010, the Corn Refiners Association petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to replace the phrase "high-fructose corn syrup" with "corn sugar".

The manufacturing group's move is being made in response to consumer demand to eliminate high fructose corn syrup from foods they buy. Corn syrup has already been replaced with old fashioned sugar in Hunt's ketchup, Gatorade, some Kraft salad dressings, Wheat Thins, Ocean Spray cranberry juice, Pepsi Throwback, Mountain Dew Throwback and Starbucks baked goods.

In response to the name change petition, the Center for Science in the Public Interest stated that an engineered food product like corn syrup shouldn't be confused with something simple and natural like sugar. "I'm not excited about the name 'corn sugar'," said Michael Jacobson, the center's executive director. "That implies that it's squeezed out of corn, and it's not."

Engineered from Corn Starch

High-fructose corn syrup was created to be cheaper than sugar and to extend the shelf life of processed foods. It is made by changing the sugar (glucose) in cornstarch to fructose, another form of sugar. The end product is a combination of fructose and glucose. The first commercial shipment of high fructose corn syrup took place in 1967.

Why Corn Syrup is Being Dumped in Favor of Plain Sugar

While some experts, and the Corn Refiners Association itself, say that sugar is sugar, and too much of any sugar will lead to weight gain, researchers at Princeton University have found key differences between consuming sugar and corn syrup. Their research shows that all sugars may not metabolize the same way.

"Some people have claimed that high-fructose corn syrup is no different than other sweeteners when it comes to weight gain and obesity, but our results make it clear that this just isn't true, at least under the conditions of our tests," said professor Bart Hoebel, who specializes in the neuroscience of appetite, weight and sugar addiction.

In the Princeton study, rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight than those with access to table sugar, even when their caloric intake overall was the same. Besides causing significant weight gain, long-term consumption of high-fructose corn syrup also led to "abnormal increases in body fat, especially in the abdomen, and a rise in circulating blood fats called triglycerides." The research may provide insight into current U.S. obesity trends.

A Possible Link to Growing Obesity in the United States

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in 2007--2008, approximately 72.5 million adults in the United States were obese. And the problem continues to grow.  Statistics show that "in 2009, no state met the Healthy People 2010 obesity target of 15 percent, and the self-reported overall prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults increased 1.1 percentage points from 2007."

This is serious news because "obese adults are at increased risk for many serious health conditions, including coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, and premature death," according to the Center.

The Food and Drug Administration could take up to two years to make a decision about the name change request.

Sources: Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Corn Refiners Association, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Princeton University, Mayoclinic.com

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