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Letter to the Editor: Just as Sweet

The Dec. 10 article PCC Waves Good-Bye to Fructose Corn Syrup may mislead your readers about high-fructose corn syrup. New research continues to confirm that high-fructose corn syrup is safe and no different from other common sweeteners like sugar and honey. High-fructose corn syrup is a natural sweetener and has the same number of calories as sugar. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted high-fructose

The Dec. 10 article “PCC Waves Good-Bye to Fructose Corn Syrup” may mislead your readers about high-fructose corn syrup. New research continues to confirm that high-fructose corn syrup is safe and no different from other common sweeteners like sugar and honey.

High-fructose corn syrup is a natural sweetener and has the same number of calories as sugar. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted high-fructose corn syrup “Generally Recognized as Safe” status for use in food, and reaffirmed that ruling in 1996 after thorough review.

High-fructose corn syrup offers numerous benefits, too. It keeps foods fresh. It enhances fruit and spice flavors. It retains moisture in bran cereals and helps keep breakfast bars moist. Consumers can see the latest research and learn more at www.HFCSfacts.com.
Audrae Erickson
President
Corn Refiners Association
Washington, D.C
.

Editor's note: Whether high-fructose corn syrup should be considered natural is the subject of debate. Michael F. Jacobson, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said in a New York Times article that high-fructose corn syrup is artificial because producing it requires a change in corn's molecular structure. The Food and Drug Administration hasn't established a formal definition for the term “natural”; however, the agency has not objected to the use of the term on food labels, provided it is used in a manner that is truthful and not misleading and the product does not contain added color, artificial flavors or synthetic substances.

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