I love this country. I love that when companies stumble into a spiral of bad publicity, they can simply change their name. Tobacco conglomerate Philip Morris changed its name to the friendly, altruistic-sounding “Altria” right around the time they were getting their butts sued by 46 states. And now the Corn Refiners Association, makers of the much maligned High Fructose Corn Syrup, has appealed to the federal government to change the name to “corn sugar.”
Corn sugar. Sounds so homespun. So neighborly and normal. It’s like the Death Star changing its name to Windy Meadows Estates.
Now, to be fair to HFCS, I’ve reported stories about this pernicious ingredient, and the main problem with HFCS as I understand it is not so much that it will kill you — though evidence suggests the body metabolizes HFCS differently from table sugar, but that’s not conclusive — it’s because SO MUCH of it is added to foods, tons and tons (it’s even added to some vitamins) that it’s almost impossible to consume it “in moderation,” as the Corn Refiners Association wanly advise. In effect, HFCS is a key source of empty calories in the American diet, not to mention ramping up demand for ever sweeter-tasting foods.
Chew on that the next time you reach for a box of Cracklin’ Corn Sugar Bombs.
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Awesome. Thank you for letting us know about this. Over the past few years I have learned about how HFCS is everywhere, and remember how appalled I was to look at the ingredients list on my whole-grain 12-grain bread and see it there too! Now I read labels before I buy any new product – even treats for my dogs!