Corn syrup industry on the defense.

I just saw a sort of a jaw-dropping commercial run by the Corn Refiners Association to promote corn syrup. One woman is telling another that it’s probably not a good idea to give her child a drink from a gallon jug of one of those “fruit drinks” (that come in such flavors as purple and green), since it’s just water and corn syrup. The drink-pouring woman objects, saying that corn syrup is “all natural” and “made from corn.” The ad points viewers to their SweetSurprise website. The claims that they’re making are both accurate and terribly misleading. The good news, I suppose, is that enough people are finally noticing that corn syrup is trouble that the industry feels the need to fight back.

Published by Waldo Jaquith

Waldo Jaquith (JAKE-with) is an open government technologist who lives near Char­lottes­­ville, VA, USA. more »

14 replies on “Corn syrup industry on the defense.”

  1. I have seen this commercial for a few weeks now, off and on. I thought the same thing you did; if they have to advertise corn syrup to us when it is in literally everything, they must feel like they are in trouble.

    There are lots of things that are natural, that doesn’t mean they are any good for us.

    “It’s natural, from the earth!” Brought to you by the Coal Producers Association.

    — by the Foxglove Salad Board

    — by the Uranium Driveway Advocacy

  2. I, too, was shocked that this sentiment had entered the mainstream enough to warrant reaction.

    Doesn’t the lobby threaten to do more harm than good to its own cause by even bringing up the concept that corn syrup might be bad to millions that had never occured to?

  3. This is very encouraging news. Just the fact that the industry is getting nervous means that progress is being made.

    I’ve been on a corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup boycott for four years, and recruiting as many people as possible to the crusade. The good news is that it’s getting much easier to buy just about anything without corn syrup or HFCS. The bad news is that those products always cost more… but it’s worth it.

  4. Holy Smokes! I. Publius and I agree on something!!!

    With the exception of ketchup, I have been on a corn syrup boycott myself for a few years… It has helped keep my middle from becoming huge.

  5. Scott, you can get corn-syrup-free ketchup at any decent health-food store (or even health-food aisle).

    (We get our ketchup at either Whole Foods or Integral Yoga, and it’s free of corn syrup.)

  6. If we got rid of the government sugar quotas that prevent cheap imports then we’d help poor Caribean and S American countries, improve our food supply by making sugar a cheaper alternative to corn syrup and help the Florida environment by reducing uncompetitive sugar production in places it shouldn’t be.

  7. MB, I like Florida. I don’t like how big sugar is subsidized and how its ruining the Everglades.

    (then again maybe you were being sarcastic and maybe its that I really hate the candy industry and want to ban all sweets)

  8. I dislike corn syrup mainly because it’s a reminder of our ridiculous corn subsidies which have many and far reaching negative effects, as JMcNamera touched on.

    However, I’m fairly ignorant on the health effects of HFCS over white refined sugar (sucrose). I’ll admit I’m a bit skeptical because it seems like HFCS might be being made the scapegoat for the larger problem of American overeating, when replacing it with cane sugar would do us little good, but I’m willing to listen to reason. A quick look at the HFCS page on Wikipedia yielded a poorly written list of various studies on the health effects, but I came away with the feeling that there’s just not a solid link between HFCS and obesity/diabetes beyond other sweeteners.

  9. Tobacco is natural too! So is pot!

    But I actually agree with the basic premise of the commercials — that a little HFCS won’t kill you — and am kind of relieved to see them. I enjoy the occasional soda, and not the Whole Foods kind. I’m not overweight, I exercise frequently, my blood sugar is just fine, and I drink water all day, so I get a little tired of my co-workers acting like I’m drinking rat poison when I open a Coke every two weeks.

  10. Tiny slice of the world? I live in Charlottesville, which I suppose is a very tiny slice of the world indeed, and most people I know are very health and diet conscious. I get annoyed when someone feels the need to point out to me when I’m eating/drinking something unhealthy, as if I couldn’t figure that out for myself.

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