HFCS

Is a sweetener made from corn really natural and safe to consume? According to various studies and research, it appears not. Since the transition of sugar to high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in the 1970’s, the new added sweetener has become a health-threatening factor in the United States. The corn based sweetener contains higher levels of fructose than natural sugar making a larger impact on Americans’ health. The highly processed sweetener has been a major influence in the ongoing epidemic of major diseases that put the wellbeing and health of its consumers in a jeopardizing state. Considering the potential health risks that accompany the consumption of high fructose corn syrup, it is important that the public is aware of the issue and is further informed of what this substance really is. High fructose corn syrup is a highly processed synthetic sweetener. Sucrose, also known as sugar, is made up of half fructose and half glucose, while HFCS is made up of fifty-five percent fructose and forty-two percent glucose (Parker). In many jelly and dressing products fructose percentage can reach up to a ninety percent as well. Since its launch in the market in the 1970’s, HFCS consumption has sky-rocketed to more than one thousand percent increase (Cooper) replacing sugar in common food products. By the late 1990’s about forty percent of all sweetening enhancers were HFCS, and was primarily used in beverages like soft drinks and juices (Paddock). HFCS is also now used in a large variety of products like candies, pastries, and creams (Cooper) to sweeten them at a lower cost than sugar. This is because HFCS is a mass produced substance and is unquestionably not a natural product. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Corn Refiners Association petitioned the FDA to rename HFCS as “corn sugar” (Lipton) claiming their product was natural and that there was no difference between sugar and HFCS (Gillam). They were eventually corresponded with a denial from