'Corn Sugar' Rejected: High Fructose Corn Syrup Name to Stay

The corn industry’s effort to rebrand high fructose corn syrup as the more innocuous-sounding “corn sugar” has failed.

Today, the Food and Drug Administration rejected the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) bid, on the grounds that, as a liquid, high fructose corn syrup cannot be considered a sugar. Sugars, by the FDA’s standards, are solid foods. The FDA, in other words, rejected the bid on a technicality.

Much maligned in the press for its possible link to obesity, the highly processed sweetener has been the subject of a CRA-backed marketing campaign to overhaul its image. High fructose corn syrup, they claim, is no different than cane sugar; “sugar is sugar,” as its tagline suggests.

Well, not so fast. High fructose corn syrup is, at least for now, still high fructose corn syrup. That’s certainly a great thing for consumers. Let’s all thank the FDA, for putting the public interest above corporate profits!

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Jennifer C.

5:25PM PDT on Mar 21, 2013

Thanks.

March 21
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Robert O.

11:50AM PST on Dec 10, 2012

Thanks Katie.

December 10
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Danuta W.

2:09AM PST on Nov 21, 2012

Great post! Thanks

November 21
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JL A.

2:29PM PST on Nov 19, 2012

good to know

November 19
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Charlene R.

1:39PM PDT on Aug 10, 2012

I now read, religiously, the ingredient label for this ingredient.
I'm happy to hear that the FDA has refused to permit relabeling 'high frutose corn syrup' under 'corn sugar'. It is what it is, and the public does not need another confusing label.

August 10
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Nina A.

7:11AM PDT on Aug 7, 2012

Interesting.

August 7
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Susan V.

5:23PM PDT on Aug 6, 2012

A rare move to protect the public by the FDA. So right it's almost unbelievable FDA had anything to do with it.

http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/91/22K07/

August 6
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Cherie L.

5:10PM PDT on Aug 1, 2012

GMOs and HFCS "corn sugar" is lurking in so many other foods that you wouldn't expect like BREAD and DELI dishes! Busy families buy food on the run, buy these foods at their local in-store bakery/deli, that are supplied by the corporate giant RICH'S FOODS (also a backer AGAINST Prop 37)! Rich's is under the radar and getting richer by the minute at the expense of our health by using these toxic ingredients in everyday foods! Let's stop them: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/667/776/825/please-stop-using-high-fructose-corn-syrup-corn-sugar-gmos-in-your-products/