The Skinny on Corn Syrup

Soapbox time!  

When my sister, Sasha first told me about the recent Food and Drug Administration's statement that products containing High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) could now be labeled as "natural, "  I was shocked.  Now, I am not going to pretend that my children never have foods which contain HFCS, sugar, artificial flavoring and coloring, etc.   You just have to scroll down and see my recent posting for Monster Cookies to debunk that theory!  I do, however, try to put forth as much effort as I can to provide healthy foods and snacks whenever possible.  Like many moms out there,  when I am shopping I tend to gravitate towards foods which contain no preservatives, additives and contain all natural ingredients.  This is why I was so annoyed that the FDA had agreed that companies who use HFCS in their foods can now use the label "ALL NATURAL."  

I am by no means an expert in this area. There are, however, a few things that I have read both recently and over the past few years regarding HFCS which I think are important to know.   

• HFCS is chemically brewed from a genetically modified and inedible type of corn and toxic acids.  
• It lacks any nutritional value, is high in fat and has been linked to all kinds of  major health problems.   HFCS contributes to cancer, heart disease, aging, arthritis, diabetes and obesity.  In fact, many experts believe that HFCS is one of the major reasons childhood obesity is such a problem in this country.  
• America is the only country that has permitted corn-based chemicals substances in our food. 

As a mom, one of the things that is so frustrating is that I feel that HFCS is in almost every single snack food targeted for children.  It's in juice, cereal, snack bars, granola bars, cookies, crackers, fruit snacks, fruit roll-ups... the list goes on and on.  I feel that almost every box with a cartoon character or an animal on the front contains a product that has been dunked in corn syrup.  And not only is it in everything, I feel like it is often the number one ingredient! 

Recently, the Refiners Association launched a series of commercials in which actors and actresses try to dismiss all of these truths about HFCS.  It was actually one of these commercials which provoked me to write this post!  After a little digging, I discovered that the Corn Refiners Association has launched a $20 million campaign to tell the public that HFCS is as natural as corn.  The commercials state that HFCS is just the same as fruit juice and sugar.  Many of these commercials quote a recent study which was sponsored by Pepsi and the American Beverage Association.  hmmmm... I wonder if they have anything to gain??? 

Like I mentioned earlier, I do not want to give the impression that I have completely banished all foods containing HFCS from my cabinets.  When I'm grocery shopping and the kids start to have a melt down, my first line of defense is to break open a box of fruit snacks which are basically nothing but corn syrup!  However, I hate feeling like I am being mislead by purchasing something that I believe is good for my family, only to find that it isn't.  And that is why I am sharing this information with you dear friends.  So what do you think?  Do you try to avoid foods with HFCS?  Maybe I'll take a poll... I'd love to know how others feel about the topic.