Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Would you eat corn sugar?

According to the Corn Refiner's Association (CRA), you already are. It's called high fructose corn syrup. But they believe that "corn sugar" is a much better name for it, which is why the CRA has petitioned the United States Food & Drug Administration for permission to change this controversial ingredient's name. They say, as do some nutrition experts, that high fructose corn syrup is nothing more than fructose and glucose—the same two ingredients found in table sugar and honey. And we all know that table sugar and honey are widely used and accepted without question. So the CRA argues that high fructose corn syrup shouldn't have the bad reputation that it does, and they think changing the name will redefine our understanding of it.

To prove their point, the Corn Refiner's Association is making a big marketing push that drives home what I mentioned above. Check out SweetSurprise and CornSugar (two websites dedicated to the name change), and watch the following:



According to a New York Times blog, the Food & Drug Administration has six months to respond to a name change petition. It also stated that high fructose corn syrup is "one of the biggest sources of calories in the American diet." And when you're trying to burn calories at the gym on a regular basis, it just makes sense to stay away from high fructose corn syrup (corn sugar, or whatever) whenever possible.

I know I will. I prefer natural ingredients, like those found in the salsa I bought at Whole Foods this weekend. Gala Red Apple Salsa, to be specific. I love apples, and I can't get enough salsa in my stomach—seeing the two in one place fried my brain. I couldn't resist you, Frontera! And thanks for not adding sugar to the mix. There is a gram of it per serving, but the all-natural kind. Straight from the apples. If you see this salsa in a store near you, do buy it. It's delightful.

And if you have an apple salsa recipe, send it my way. I'm picking apples this weekend, which means I need to get my shoulder muscles ready for all that reaching.

Question: Would you buy products that list corn sugar as an ingredient? Did the CRA change your opinion of high fructose corn syrup?

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