Is it OK for high fructose corn syrup-containing products to carry a natural label? High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), also known as glucose-fructose, isoglucose and glucose-fructose syrup, is a sweetener made from corn starch.As in the production of conventional corn syrup, the starch is broken down into glucose by enzymes.To make HFCS, the corn syrup is further processed by glucose isomerase to convert some of its glucose into fructose. Similarly, honey and beet or cane sugar (sucrose) are about 50/50 fructose and glucose. There's a significant focus in the popular media on the role of fructose in health. Why did the hemp CBD market stagger through 2020? Lines and paragraphs break automatically. Number 8860726. Chances are all of us have consumed high fructose corn syrup at some point in our lives, whether knowingly or unknowingly. Registered in England and Wales. (In 2010 the Corn Refiners Association petitioned FDA to allow it to change the name of HFCS to “corn sugar.” FDA declined.). This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. As far as the natural products industry is concerned, the lawsuits alone are good reason to stay far away from this ingredient, says attorney Todd Harrison of Venable LLP. We get a lot of readers writing in to ask us whether or not a product containing High Fructose Corn Syrup can be labeled as “natural” or “all natural.” … “HFCS and sugar are equally harmful.” Some studies do suggest that high fructose intake can boost visceral deep belly fat (a particularly hazardous type of fat) and interfere with hormones that control satiety. High fructose corn syrup just happens to make up a significant part of the sugar market because of government subsidies for corn that result in HFCS being extremely cheap for manufacturers to use as a sweetener, and because it is sweeter than other types of sugars, less needs to be used, saving manufacturers even more money. 1. A sweet food additive derived from corn via a series of enzymes, acids and other chemicals that extract the starch from the corn, convert it to glucose and then convert some glucose to fructose. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2020. FDA: High fructose corn syrup is not 'corn sugar'. While there's mounting evidence to suggest that high-fructose corn syrup isn't a healthy sweetener, it is not because the fructose in the corn syrup is industrially-produced that makes it a problem; eating large quantities of naturally-produced fructose would have the same effect. Like sugar, HFCS has 16 calories per teaspoon, but it costs 20 percent to 30 percent less. In 2004, a seminal paper in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggested that increased consumption of HFCS was at the root of the U.S. obesity epidemic, noting that intake had spiked 1,000 percent between 1970 and 1990 and that Americans ate 132 to 316 calories per day of the stuff. Why Down to Cook offers nutritious, easy-to-cook fare at a Hamburger Helper price point, Unboxed: Fun sweets and spirits pairings for the upcoming holidays, Natural Grocers fiscal 2020 sales break company record, The power of partnerships – A trusted supply chain perspective, Spark Change brands protect consumers' microbiomes, Allowed HTML tags:

. There's no chemical difference between "natural" and "artificial" fructose; the molecules are absolutely indistinguishable from one another, have identical properties and act identically in the body. It is almost always derived from genetically modified corn. Informa Markets, a trading division of Informa PLC. While there's mounting evidence to suggest that high-fructose corn syrup isn't a healthy sweetener, it is not because the fructose in the corn syrup is industrially-produced that makes it a problem; eating large quantities of naturally-produced fructose would have the same effect. Explore our complete list of  "Is it natural?" ingredients. "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Consumption of High-Fructose Corn Syrup in Beverages May Play a Role in the Epidemic of Obesity; George Bray, et al; April 2004. She has a Bachelor of Science in zoology, a Bachelor of Science in psychology, a Master of Science in chemistry and a doctoral degree in bioorganic chemistry. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Adds an unnatural amount of fructose to your diet. Since the 2004 paper and ensuing public outcry, numerous papers have debunked the idea that HFCS is uniquely to blame for obesity. One common source of fructose is fruit, but you will also find fructose chemically bonded to glucose to make sucrose, which is the chemical name for table sugar. Fructose is a sugar closely related to the more common sugar glucose. Here we explore the question: Is high fructose corn syrup natural? Most "artificial" fructose — which might more appropriately be called industrially-produced fructose — comes from using enzymes to convert glucose into fructose. https://www.newhope.com/sites/all/themes/penton_subtheme_newhope360/images/logos/footer.png. Here are 6 reasons why consuming large amounts of high-fructose corn syrup is bad for your health. She's been teaching and writing about health, wellness and nutrition for more than 10 years. “I think that very few people would agree that high fructose corn syrup, even if it is made from a non-GMO source, is natural. “I think that very few people would agree that high fructose corn syrup, even if it is made from a non-GMO source, is natural… Fructose is a sugar closely related to the more common sugar glucose. Other studies suggest that the manufacturing process may leave trace levels of mercury in HFCS. It’s a losing battle.”. Kirstin Hendrickson is a writer, teacher, coach, athlete and author of the textbook "Chemistry In The World." Or why not? Your cells can use either for energy, and while fructose tastes significantly sweeter than glucose, each contain 4 calories per g consumed. Copyright © 2020 Leaf Group Ltd., all rights reserved. Because it absorbs moisture better than sucrose, it’s often used to add soft gooey texture to cookies and snack bars. But HFCS defenders are quick to point out that despite its unfortunate name, HIGH fructose corn syrup actually has less fructose in it than many natural fruit-based sugars and about the same amount as sucrose. Why? As far as the natural products industry is concerned, the lawsuits alone are good reason to stay far away from this ingredient, says attorney Todd Harrison of Venable LLP. The lawsuits tend to be based not on health concerns but rather on the presence of GMOs and a manufacturing process that plaintiffs say is anything but natural. For instance, you may have heard that high-fructose corn syrup is bad for you and might wonder whether that's because the fructose is "artificial" as opposed to "natural." Manufactured mostly from genetically modified corn, high fructose corn syrup is definitely not natural and definitely not healthy. New Hope Network is part of the Informa Markets Division of Informa PLC. 5@5: US adult obesity rate surpasses 40% | Family of deceased Publix employee sues chain, 3 essential keynotes from virtual expo Spark Change. It noted that the “digestion, absorption and metabolism of fructose differ from those of glucose” in a way that might promote hunger and more weight gain. According to FDA, it typically has 42 percent or 55 percent fructose, and the rest glucose and water. “That’s an urban myth,” states the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Similarly, a 2004 study in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" by Dr. George Bray and colleagues suggests that increased fructose consumption could play an important role in the rising rate of obesity in industrialized countries 2. One common source of fructose is fruit, but you will also find fructose chemically bonded to glucose to make sucrose, which is the chemical name for table sugar. One major difference between naturally-occurring and industrially-produced fructose is that the former is not found in nature in high concentrations, while the latter is added to most processed foods, making it pervasive and difficult to avoid, potentially leading to some of its role in promoting obesity. Actually, there's no difference between artificial and natural fructose. "Natural" fructose, which occurs in foods, is made by the cells in those foods in the same way; it's converted over from glucose. Ingredient experts, food scientists and chemists review ingredients that have recently drawn ire in the natural products space.