Sorry guys, but "Corn sugar" is already claimed....

In their never ending campaign to deceive the American public, the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) is seeking FDA approval to relabel "High Fructose Corn Syrup" as "Corn Sugar."  Here's the entry for "Corn Sugar" from Wikipedia; clearly CRA has been hard at work!

So, what's the problem?  Well, given that the CRA even states on their site (appropriately named "cornsugar.com") that "Corn Sugar" is an "FDA-approved alternate label for dextrose, a corn-based sweetener that contains no fructose," one might think they would go back to the drawing board in their never-ending quest for a new name for HFCS?:

Oh, that's really just a pesky little detail.  Something so insignificant wouldn't stop King Corn in their mission!  And moreover, according to the CRA's website, "Relabeling high fructose corn syrup as “corn sugar” clears up confusion and enables consumers to easily identify added sugars in the diet. Docket FDA-2010-P-0491"  Wow.  So, relabeling would clear up confusion?  Um, that's a very interesting use of the word "confusion"! Or maybe it's the "clears up" that's a little murky....  And again, CRA does actually point out on that same page: "'Corn sugar' is currently a little-used label name for dextrose, which we are seeking to change."

Rather than adopting a label already in use by another altogether different product, wouldn't it be easier either to (a) stick with the existing label, or (b) come up with a new label that doesn't require changing another product's label? 

Wait a minute....  I've got it!  

• It's a label not currently being used by anyone.
• No mention of "fructose."
• It's got the word "sugar" rather than "syrup."
• It's simple and "natural," just like HFCS....
• It's an absolutely perfect new label for High Fructose Corn Syrup!

Audrae Erickson, whatever would you do if there weren't people like me to do your job for you?


For more information on this topic, please see: Marion Nestle's article: "Sorry, Corn Refiners: The Name 'Corn Sugar' Is Already Taken"

"Food people"

I've never been to Cabo Bob's, but if i'm ever in Austin, Texas,  it would be my first stop.  Cabo Bob's was recently featured in an article on Restaurants Going High Fructose Corn Syrup Free.  "Owner Don Brinkman loved Dublin Dr. Pepper, a cane sugar version of the original and decided to bring in Dublin’s other sugar-based sodas, Sun Crest Orange, Triple XXX, NuGrape and Big Red, mostly for the nostalgia factor. Once he had an HFCS-free soda fountain, he says, it just made sense to create an HFCS-free menu, too. He did it by making tortillas, salsa and barbecue sauce—which often contain HFCS—from scratch."

Cabo Bob's site includes a Q&A about their food:  "High Fructose Corn Syrup is not allowed in the restaurant, period."

For that article, Pat Herring, R & D Director for Texas-based, Jason’s Deli, was also interviewed.  "It’s all about taste he says. They’ve found that HFCS-free and organic foods just taste better. Does Herring think that when a pipe-fitter or welder comes into his restaurant he cares that it’s organic? “[']He may not, but he’ll enjoy the food. We’re not politicians,[']” he says. “[']We’re just food people.[']”

Wouldn't it be nice if more food establishments were run by "food people"?

HFCS: Are you getting enough?

Cough syrup and HFCS

So you have a bad cold... you feel like hell and you are just trying to get better.  You reach for cough syrup and..... what's that?  There's HFCS in Robitussin?  There's sorbitol in Mucinex?

 

















Picture source: http://www.homesolutionsstore.com/mas_assets/categoryimages/HSS-MUCINEX.jpg

Yep.

So, apparently, if you want to avoid HFCS or sugar oils (if you have a problem with fructose digestion, things like Sorbitol will further inhibit your ability to metabolize fructose) you better reach for the cough syrup designed for people with diabetes.

so sad....

SNL and HFCS

see also the Slashfood article...