There’s a lot to learn about High Fructose Corn Syrup. Is it as bad for you as people think? Why is it in so much of our food? Is it gluten free? All these questions and more are about to be answered for you!
Is High Fructose Corn Syrup Gluten Free?
High Fructose Corn Syrup is gluten free.
About High Fructose Corn Syrup
High Fructose Corn Syrup is a sweetener that is made out of corn starch. The starch gets broken down into glucose by the use of enzymes. Then the corn syrup is processed even more to turn some of the glucose into fructose.
High Fructose Corn Syrup is often compared to sugar, but it is cheaper and better to handle than sugar. High Fructose Corn Syrup is used for processed food, among other things.
In the United States, High Fructose Corn Syrup has come to replace sucrose in a lot of the food industry. One main reason is that it is often the cheapest option. It is about as sweet as sugar or honey.
High Fructose Corn Syrup is often blamed for the “obesity epidemic” in the United States. However, studies have shown that High Fructose Corn Syrup does not cause excess weight gain when used as a replacement for other sugars.
However, it appears that added sugar in general, and not High Fructose Corn Syrup, is what’s causing health problems. It is recommended that men limit their intake of added sugar to 150 calories per day, and women limit it to 100 calories a day.
History
Corn syrup started being produced commercially in 1964. In 1967, an early version of High Fructose Corn Syrup was invented. A similar attempt was made in the 1950s but it wasn’t a scalable process.
Before the sugar industry took off, fructose was only in a few foods. Most vegetables, meats, and milks have no fructose. These are the staples of early diets.
Between 1970 and 2000, the increase in added sugars was 25%.
Ever since 1789, the sugar industry in the United States has had trade protection on foreign-produced sugar via tariffs. Simultaneously, corn growers keep cheapening the price of corn, creating a perfect environment for High Fructose Corn Syrup to shine.
Public Relations
The public does not have a good view of High Fructose Corn Syrup, especially when it is included in foods that are labeled as natural.
Due to this, many companies are using table sugar instead of High Fructose Corn Syrup to meet consumer desires.
In 2010, the Corn Refiners Association petitioned for High Fructose Corn Syrup to be renamed as “corn sugar” but the FDA rejected the petition in 2012.
McDonald’s, Yoplait, Gatorade, and Hershey’s have all replaced their High Fructose Corn Syrup with table sugar due to consumer concerns.
Ingredients
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
Nutritional Information
| Calories | 281 |
| Carbohydrates | 76g |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 2% |
| Vitamin B6 | 2% |
| Calcium | 1% |
| Iron | 3% |
| Magnesium | 1% |
| Phosphorus | 1% |
| Zinc | 2% |
Sources:
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169659/nutrients
https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/high-fructose-corn-syrup-questions-and-answers
https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/0003-4819-156-4-201202210-00007