Last summer, I studied in Germany. While there were many cultural differences, most of them were small because Germany is a western, globalized nation that is very similar to the U.S. One of the small differences I noticed, however, is that I could not find any food product with high fructose corn syrup in it.
On Feb. 8, Parminder Deo wrote an article about corn syrup for The Daily Campus. He concluded that the body processes high fructose corn syrup differently than sugar, which can cause weight gain when it is consumed in excess.
Corn syrup has frequently been in the news in the past year as consumers and health experts fight back against its ever increasing presence in our food. Corn has permeated the American diet. Try to avoid corn and you need to avoid food products with high fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin, dextrose, glucose, fructose, some mono- and di-glicerides and corn sugar.
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) really is in most processed products in some form. Nearly every mainstream American candy, soda and chip contains some kind of corn product. But corn, and especially HFCS, is in many products that we would not expect because they are not “sweet” products. For example, your toothpaste almost certainly has a corn product in it. Many peanut butters have HFCS, as do many store-bought breads. While you’re at it, you might as well look at your salad dressing and juice. Consider that most American livestock is fed on corn, and it’s likely in your meat as well.
Although concrete evidence has not appeared to prove that a high amount of HFCS in Americans’ diets has contributed to obesity and diabetes, experts are starting to question the possibility. But corn syrup makers have been fighting back against public opinion. Several vast and wealthy companies have banded together in the Corn Refiners Association, which lobbies for the corn industry and launches public relations campaigns.
The organization drew flak from experts and the public for announcing that HFCS is “natural” in a television commercial. They have since backpedaled from their original stance, and now they want to call HFCS “corn sugar.” Take a look at their charming website, sweetsurprise.com, and you will find a cheery yellow and green palate with pictures of beautiful families enjoying all-American picnics. The website also has a “Family” section and countless ways to combat the vicious “myths” surrounding HFCS.
Call me paranoid, but I don’t place much faith in giant, wealthy industrial conglomerates when it comes to ethical responsibility to the public. But how did these corn products become so entrenched in our nutrition system in the first place? Unfortunately, it has to do with the government. Not only has the U.S. government put several tariffs and regulations in place that make cane sugar significantly more expensive in the U.S. over the past 30 years, but government subsidies have also controversially over-inflated the demand for corn.
Finally, a recently expired large government subsidy of corn-based ethanol fuels further inflated demand.The result is that our agriculture industry is addicted to corn and so are we. It’s time to stop subsidizing corn production and let the market determine what it needs. While corn has many uses in our food industry, maybe it is time to consider a more natural, less processed approach.
Paul is the Opinion Editor. He is a junior majoring in voice performance.
