According to cornsugar.com, the phrase ‘corn sugar’ is simply used to describe high fructose corn syrup as a form of sugar made from corn. This term is FDA approved as an alternate name for dextrose, which is a corn-based sweetener containing no fructose.
After reading, “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” I cannot decide if this term being FDA approved is surprising or not. The over extensive use of corn in the food we eat and the government’s hand in a continuing surplus seemed to be a part of the “unknown,” yet this approval shows the FDA is supporting the use of corn in products. Whether I’m surprised or not, I’m happy to see that if the FDA is part of the surplus of corn that they are at least connecting their name to these products.
The website quotes Carrie Taylor, R.D., L.D. as saying “Regardless if it’s honey, cane sugar, high fructose corn syrup or just plain sugar, we metabolize it the same.” Again connected to “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” the professionals are saying that our body metabolizes all sugar the same. If this is true, then why do other products with a corn base affect a person’s body differently?
After discussing the “shelf-life” of Twinkies and the recent decline of Hostess, the idea of a product having a seemingly endless life span was disturbing. Lucky for us, high fructose corn syrup is advertised as a versatile ingredient that “adds taste, texture, freshness and sweetness to the foods we love.” Foods like ice cream, frozen fruit, yogurt and granola bars, thanks to the addition of corn sugar, can extend their shelf-life. It’s not quite the same lifespan as a Twinkie, but these “healthy” foods that we love are seemingly deceptive thanks to the FDA’s newest approval on a corn based product.
