High-fructose corn syrup is not sugar, its poison.
so, when they say sugar, what they are really talking about is high-fructose corn syrup.
from wiki:
"The CSPI also claim that HFCS is not a natural ingredient due to the high level of processing and the use of at least one genetically modified (GMO) enzyme required to produce it. "
A new study suggests a link between drinking soda and developing pancreatic cancer.
Cutting back on the fructose in your diet could save your life -- and shrink your waistline. Table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) -- the primary sources of fructose -- are staples of our food supply, and are even found in foods that aren't necessarily sweet, like breads, soups, ketchup, and salad dressing. These sweeteners are linked to health problems such as obesity, diabetes, and joint and abdominal pain. They may also increase your risk for liver and kidney diseases, premature aging, and certain types of cancer.-(source
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I can't speak to the health effects, but cane sugar tastes so much better than HFCS.
ReplyDeleteThere is a BIG difference in taste. Take the recent availability of Pepsi's Throwback products (Pepsi and Mountain Dew) which use sugar (cane and beet) rather than HFCS. You can tell them and their corn syrup cousins apart easily, as I learned by comparing both side by side.
ReplyDeleteOf course, until about 1985, when the major soft drink companies made the shift to corn syrup, the "Throwback" versions were Pepsi and Mountain Dew.
Think of the marketing potential and contrast with Coca-Cola that Pepsi could have if they eliminated HFCS and went back to sugar as the regular sweetener for their soda (they won't, mostly because sugar is more expensive, but the propaganda value against their major rival would be worth a lot of that extra cost).
I'm almost shocked you didn't point out why we have to endure HFCS: government corn subsidies.
ReplyDeleteOf course, the US could also do the other thing that some Euro countries did, and ban or heavily tax HFCS to make it competitive with cane sugar. Soda over there is all "throwback," but more expensive. However, it's easier to just cut subsidies and force farmers to evolve.
I just moved to the US from Australia, where we don't have HFCS. All I can say is the food here tastes truly awful. A lifetime of eating food with sugar and very limited, if any exposure to HFCS really makes the taste difference obvious. It doesn't even taste sweet...just vaguely chemical-tasting.
ReplyDelete