What is High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFSC)?

High fructose corn syrup is a sweetener made by changing the sugar in cornstarch to fructose. High fructose corn syrup has a preservative quality to it, extending the shelf life of proceeded foods. As a sweeter it is much cheaper than sugar. For these reasons, it has become a popular ingredient in many sodas, flavored drinks and other processed foods. Check your food labels; you may be surprised by how many foods contain high fructose corn syrup.

Some nutrition experts blame the growing obesity problem on the increased consumption of high fructose corn syrup especially in beverages. The controversy largely comes down to whether this is coincidence or a contributory relationship. The scientific theory is that fructose is more readily converted to fat by your liver than sucrose is, thus increasing the levels of fat in your bloodstream. Additionally, some animal studies have shown a link between increased consumption of high fructose corn syrup and adverse health effects, such as diabetes and high cholesterol. However, these theories are yet unproven. Still the fact remains that Americans, Canadians, and many Europeans consume large quantities of high fructose corn syrup in the form of soft drinks, flavored beverages and processed foods; foods that are high in calories and low in nutritional value. Some critics claim this to be the true problem: an industry encouraging overconsumption through readily available low cost foods. The fact is ounce for ounce, high-fructose corn syrup has less grams of sugar than sugar, however it is cheaper to use and is used in abundance. Also it is used in proceeded foods and beverages, often making it overlooked by the average consumer.
Here are some tips to reduce high-fructose corn syrup in your diet:

  • Read food labels. Check out our section on How to Read a Food Label.
  • Buy 100 percent fruit juice instead of fruit-flavored drinks.
  • Choose fresh fruit instead of fruit juices.
  • Choose fruit canned in its own juices instead of heavy syrup.
  • Cut back on soda or eliminate sodas all together.

Some technical definitions:

What is corn syrup?

The singular term “corn syrup” is somewhat of a misnomer because it is used to identify a group of sweeteners that differ from one another simply by the amount of dextrose (glucose) present in the commercial syrup. Since only a single type of corn syrup is generally used in a food product, the term “corn syrup” is permitted in an ingredient statement. However, consumers have no idea how much glucose is contained in the particular “corn syrup” listed in an ingredient statement. A commercial “corn syrup” may contain between 20% and 98% dextrose (glucose). “Corn syrup” may also be called “glucose syrup” in an ingredient list.
Corn syrups are used in many daily food items and go unnoticed
  • salad dressings
  • tomato sauces
  • powdered drink mixes
  • fruit drinks and juices
  • frozen desserts like pudding and ice milk.

What is high fructose corn syrup?

Corn syrups enriched with fructose are manufactured from syrups that have been treated to contain as much dextrose (glucose) as possible. Nearly all the glucose in these dextrose-rich corn syrups is transformed into fructose with enzymes. The fructose-enriched syrups are then blended with dextrose syrups. After blending, commercial fructose corn syrups contain either 42% or 55% fructose by weight. It is becoming more common to further process fructose-enriched corn syrups to increase fructose content. These enhanced fructose corn syrups contain at least 95% fructose by weight.

The term “high fructose corn syrup” or “HFCS” represents a family of three fundamentally different products, not a unique single ingredient. Like ingredient terms permitted for other sweeteners manufactured from starch, the descriptor “high fructose corn syrup” denotes more than one product. The generic term “high fructose corn syrup” or its acronym “HFCS” is used in food and beverage ingredient statements. The vast majority of the high fructose corn syrup containing 55% fructose is used to sweeten carbonated soft drinks and other flavored beverages. Minor amounts are used in frozen dairy products. Essentially all foods listing “high fructose corn syrup” as an ingredient contain the syrup with 42% fructose. The 95% fructose corn syrup is becoming more common in beverages, canned fruits, confectionery products and dessert syrups. For more information on HFCS check out their industry’s website, www.HFCSfacts.com.  By comparison, sugar (sucrose), is composed of 50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose.

Thanks to the Sugar Association and the HFCS Facts websites for this information.

The Natural Side of Sweetness.