The PR campaign for HFCS drones on...

According to a recent PR Newswire News release ("Analysis of High Fructose Corn Syrup-Free Marketing and New Consumer Research Suggests Some Food Companies Adding to Sweetener Confusion"), consumers are being "led astray" by false claims made by companies promoting products that are HFCS-free.

CRA's analysis showed that while nearly half (44%) made simple statements without health judgments in calling out products as "high fructose corn syrup free," a significant number mischaracterized this caloric sweetener in their materials. For example:

• 33% used negative language to characterize high fructose corn syrup, including nearly 4% that made extreme and blatantly false misrepresentations about the sweetener;
• 5% touted sugar as "healthier";
• 18% claimed high fructose corn syrup is not natural; and,
• 19.5% used qualifiers to imply that products are more healthful without high fructose corn syrup.

So does that mean these companies are misunderestimating the wonders of HFCS in their shameless campaign to promote products that dare to exclude the most glorious of all sweeteners, the lifeblood of America that is High Fructose Corn Syrup?

(Photo Source: Red, White and Blue Corn, photo by Robb Kiser: Holli Alvarado)

Moreover, this PR Newswire report cites "CRA's research findings," which highlight how misled consumers feel.

Nearly half (46.9%) of consumers surveyed feel misled by food companies making high fructose corn syrup-free claims

Let's just turn this statement around for the fun of it.  So, according to this statistic, over half of consumers surveyed by the CRA do NOT feel misled by food companies making HFCS-free claims. 

Sometimes i wonder if I am misunderestimating just how smart these CRA folks are and how effective their little PR machine is...

Gotta love that headline: "High Fructose Corn Syrup doesn't make exceptional contribution to obesity." So, it definitely contributes to obesity, but not in an exceptional way.   

Weak argument much?