FDA Clarification That High Fructose Corn Syrup Can Be Labeled Natural

[Mrbloodworth]

Mother of god.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8, 2008

CONTACT:
Audrae Erickson, President
(202) 331-1634

WASHINGTON, DC – The Corn Refiners Association today welcomed clarification received from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration concerning the use of the term natural for products containing High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS).

“Upon careful review of the current manufacturing process for High Fructose Corn Syrup, the FDA found that HFCS can be labeled natural,” stated Audrae Erickson, president, Corn Refiners Association. “HFCS contains no artificial or synthetic ingredients or color additives and meets FDA’s requirements for the use of the term ‘natural.’ HFCS, like table sugar and honey, is natural. It is made from corn, a natural grain product.”

Specifically, the FDA stated “we would not object to the use of the term ‘natural’ on a product containing the HFCS produced by the manufacturing process…” commonly employed in the corn refining industry. A copy of the letter clarifying FDA’s views on the use of the term natural for products containing HFCS can be found at www.corn.org/FDAdecision7-7-08.pdf.

CRA is the national trade association representing the corn refining (wet milling) industry of the United States. CRA and its predecessors have served this important segment of American agribusiness since 1913. Corn refiners manufacture sweeteners, ethanol, starch, bioproducts, corn oil, and feed products from corn components such as starch, oil, protein, and fiber.

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I got it from a very Biased site.

[Viin]

Those morons.

[Sky]

This is why I clarified the thing about ingredients with Haem the other day. I don't really bother with the marketing crap, I just flip and read the ingredients. What would be worse is if they could hide HFCS as 'natural flavorings' or something, so you don't know it's in the product.

[Mrbloodworth]

Yeah, the next step is what scares me.

[HaemishM]

That's totally fucked.

[Fabricated]

wooo more bizarre High Fructose Corn Syrup hate just what the internet needed

[Merusk]

Bizarre hate?  No, it's fully justified hate.

This is no surprise, however, as the FDA is as politicized as any branch of government at this point. But hey.. it IS corn after all! 

[Fabricated]

But um...it IS corn. There's nothing really unnatural about it, it's just not that good for you...like you know actual sugar isn't.

I mean, you all aren't "HFCS is killing the world!" conspiracy theorists are you?

[Selby]

There is definitely a difference in taste between HFCS and cane sugar (not that most people born in the last 20 years will ever really care or notice).  I don't subscribe to it being "evil" or anything, but it sure as hell seems like everything comes with it loaded as an ingredient these days...

[Strazos]

I don't believe I've ever had actual sugar in any drinks I've bought...Sure, I've made Kool-Aid before, and dumped sugar into it, but that's not the same thing, is it?

[Viin]

Some soda has real sugar in it, like Blue Sky. You can also get Dr Pepper with Real Sugar(tm) which is just awesome.

[Murgos]

It's naturally delicious!

Anyway, you're all a bunch of 'tards.  Oh, nos!  They are ruining our naturalist propaganda by making us use the word for what it means, ahhhh!

I fucking pray to god that 'Organic' is next, I love what it stands for but I fucking hate that word to no end.  Quick, drink some organic phosphates!  It's good for you, I promise!

Learn to read a label or get stuck with the shit you got.  Don't tell me it's 'organic' tell me what you did and why it's better, I can't eat fricken buzz-words and I don't trust people to not bend shit all out of whack with the original intention.

[Viin]

I think the biggest issue people have is when they are allowed to "hide" ingredients in terms like "natural flavoring" or some such. I believe you can still put MSG under the "natural flavoring" ingredient so you'd have no idea it was in the product unless you had it tested. I don't care for natural labels or anything like that either, but I damn well better be able to read all the ingredients on the box.

I do think the FDA organic labeling is important as long as you understand what it actually means. (Not like you can tell organic milk from non-organic by looking at the ingredient list).

[Fabricated]

I think the biggest issue people have is when they are allowed to "hide" ingredients in terms like "natural flavoring" or some such. I believe you can still put MSG under the "natural flavoring" ingredient so you'd have no idea it was in the product unless you had it tested. I don't care for natural labels or anything like that either, but I damn well better be able to read all the ingredients on the box.

I do think the FDA organic labeling is important as long as you understand what it actually means. (Not like you can tell organic milk from non-organic by looking at the ingredient list).

I'm not sure how much ingredient hiding you can get away with considering that people are allergic to everything. There's a lady I work with who is allergic to corn. Yes, it probably does suck to be her.

[Trippy]

But um...it IS corn. There's nothing really unnatural about it, it's just not that good for you...like you know actual sugar isn't.

I mean, you all aren't "HFCS is killing the world!" conspiracy theorists are you?

No it's not corn. It *starts* as corn but by the time all the enzymes have acted on the corn starch what you end up with is definitely *not* corn.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_fructose_corn_syrup#Production
http://www.westonaprice.org/motherlinda/cornsyrup.html

The corn starch is basically just the raw molecular material that is heavily processed into sugars that are different from the original sugars in the corn starch.

[Engels]

The glucose group was unaffected but the fructose group had disastrous results. The male rats did not reach adulthood. They had anemia, high cholesterol and heart hypertrophy--that means that their hearts enlarged until they exploded.

That just about covers it for me.

[Oban]

I assume the rats died because they were not eating organic natural high fructose corn syrup.

[Merusk]

Thanks Trippy.  That's my issue with it, it's a PROCESSED food nowhere near its natural state.  This isn't bleaching rice or flour, this is calling Processed Cheese or Hot Dogs "Natural"

Plus, food with HFCS tastes like shit.  It's too heavy and I can taste the syrup in it.  Yeah, I'm one of those freaks that notices the difference between stuff made with cane sugar and HFCS like people who can taste the difference between natural and artificial sweeteners.

[JWIV]

Thanks Trippy.  That's my issue with it, it's a PROCESSED food nowhere near its natural state.  This isn't bleaching rice or flour, this is calling Processed Cheese or Hot Dogs "Natural"

Plus, food with HFCS tastes like shit.  It's too heavy and I can taste the syrup in it.  Yeah, I'm one of those freaks that notices the difference between stuff made with cane sugar and HFCS like people who can taste the difference between natural and artificial sweeteners.

Really, if you get someone to cut out corn syrup for long enough, they'll typically notice the overbearing sweetness of it.   

http://www.boylanbottling.com/ also makes some kick ass soda with cane sugar. 

[Nonentity]

So when is Nutrasweet being declared natural?

I want all the Diet Pepsi I drink to be 'natural'.

"Hey ladies, don't you want a man who is in touch with nature?"

[Nebu]

The whole "All Natural" thing is a meaningless catch phrase anyway.  Shit is all natural and you won't see me eating that either. 

[Mrbloodworth]

There is definitely a difference in taste between HFCS and cane sugar (not that most people born in the last 20 years will ever really care or notice).  I don't subscribe to it being "evil" or anything, but it sure as hell seems like everything comes with it loaded as an ingredient these days...

Thats the problem, that shit also rots in your stomach. Its heavily processed, and long past being "Natural". Natural has a very short "From dirt to mouth" time span IMO, i will continue to ATTEMPT to avoid it in my foods.

The worst part of all of it is, it will now cost more. Watch.

[Nebu]

Avoiding stuff that's bad for you is easy.  Don't buy anything that is preprocessed.  Unfortunately, it's expensive to eat right in the US.  That and most people are too lazy to cook real food. 

[Trippy]

The worst part of all of it is, it will now cost more. Watch.

The whole point of HFCS is that it's much cheaper to make than regular table sugar (cane sugar, beet sugar, etc.). If the price goes up too much (like from the rising cost of corn) manufacturers will just switch to cheaper forms of sugar.

[Yegolev]

Corn will be preferred for quite a while due to political pressure, or at least somewhat past the point where pure economics would dictate a switch.

My wife has been mentioning a study that shows HFCS does not trigger the "I'm full" sensation like cane sugar does.  Add that in with other evidence and it's no surprise Americans are so unhealthy.  Yeah, I'm one of those "fuck the corn lobby" people.  They'd sell cars made of corn if they knew how.

[Mrbloodworth]

The worst part of all of it is, it will now cost more. Watch.

The whole point of HFCS is that it's much cheaper to make than regular table sugar (cane sugar, beet sugar, etc.). If the price goes up too much (like from the rising cost of corn) manufacturers will just switch to cheaper forms of sugar.

Oh, i was just commenting on what nebu was saying (after words), most things that get to use "Natural" and "Organic" get to have a price increase.

[Krakrok]

Watch 'King Corn'.

[Sky]

I've heard rumblings that the hops shortage is due in part to more corn planting. SAVE TEH HOPS.

Note this won't make much difference to Budweiser.

[naum]

Costco sells cases of Mexican Coke, where the sweetener is real sugar, not HFCS.

Also, there are some "specialty" sodas like Jones brand that use real sugar (or sugar cane) instead of HFCS.

The difference is noticeable.

[Merusk]

I've heard rumblings that the hops shortage is due in part to more corn planting. SAVE TEH HOPS.

Note this won't make much difference to Budweiser.

You mean InBev. 

[HaemishM]

But um...it IS corn. There's nothing really unnatural about it, it's just not that good for you...like you know actual sugar isn't.

I mean, you all aren't "HFCS is killing the world!" conspiracy theorists are you?

No, it just tastes shittier than real sugar and is contributing to a lot of really bad long-term health problems for Americans who are absolutely overloaded with the shit.

Sure it's corn... that doesn't mean it should be classed as "natural." By that token, cigarettes should be classed as "natural" since after all, it's just tobacco. They only add a few billion things to it, but it's really just tobacco. Amirite?

[Mrbloodworth]

yes.

[schild]

Cigarettes that consist of 100% natural tobacco are already labeled as such. In fact, it's arguable, given the processes to get hfcs from corn it's less natural than tobacco. Anyway, see American Spirits.

[Yegolev]

I buy Mexican Cokes from my local Kroger grocery store.  They even come in glass bottles instead of crappy cans.  I love some hot pizza and a Mexican Coke.

The word "natural" as a buzzword was already pretty meaningless, now it's just moreso.  The important bit is if they will succeed in removing HFCS from the ingredient list.  I'm already very suspicious of "natural flavors and/or colorings".  That's a nice lead into food dye causing autism, isn't it?

[MahrinSkel]

Being able to subsume HFCS into "natural flavoring" seems like the only reason for them to have pushed this.  So yeah, after they've had time to make new labels and roll over the stock, HFCS will magically disappear from everything.  Even if it wasn't the purpose, they won't pass up the opportunity

There's a theory that the whole "Old Coke/New Coke" debacle back in the 80's was just a way for them to switch from cane sugar to HFCS and get people to thank them for it.

--Dave