Recently this year, The Corn Refiners Association has petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to change the name of high-fructose corn syrup to "corn sugar". The sweetened name is to appear on all food labels and advertisement campaigns. So why the name change?
High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a common ingredient in most sodas and soft drinks. In fact, HFCS is the most popular sweetener used in beverages and processed foods alike. But with this ubiquitous ingredient, many have questioned the health risks. As a result of mixed claims and negative publicity, the corn industry has had a decrease in sales. So with this knowledge in mind, is it fair to suggest the attempt at a new name from the Corn Industry is an advertisement ploy to increase more consumers?
Tony Isaacs’ from Natural News believes so, stating:
"The industry would have us believe that the name change is for our own good to clear up ‘confusion’ about HFCS. However, others question whether the proposed change is much more about marketing, hiding health dangers and keeping profits high than it is about any concern for consumers."
The industry’s push for the new name is said by the petition to indeed, clear up any consumer confusion of the product: the name “corn sugar” is to reflect the source (corn), and the function (a sweetener). However, is high-fructose corn syrup a sugar? And if not, is the title misleading?
This article appears in Oct 21-27, 2010.