{"id":4101,"date":"2009-02-03T17:42:54","date_gmt":"2009-02-03T23:42:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress-367309-1145705.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=4101"},"modified":"2009-02-03T17:42:54","modified_gmt":"2009-02-03T23:42:54","slug":"high-fructose-corn-syrup-cut-it-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/high-fructose-corn-syrup-cut-it-out\/","title":{"rendered":"High Fructose Corn Syrup: Cut it Out!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Corn\"<\/a>It’s been a bad couple of weeks for processed foods.\u00a0 On the heels of the peanut butter recall<\/a> came the news<\/a>mercury-tainted high fructose corn syrup<\/a> (HFCS).\u00a0 And this, of course, has reopened the debate over HFCS.<\/h3>\n

Is it the cause of obesity<\/a> in America?\u00a0 Is it really the same<\/a> as table sugar?\u00a0 Is it an evil, liquidy villain complete with horns and a tail?\u00a0 Regardless of how you answer those three questions, from a sustainability perspective alone, we should stop consuming so much HFCS.\u00a0 Here’s why, and how you can cut down.<\/p>\n

Why Avoid HFCS?<\/h3>\n

HFCS is simply not sustainable – whether you consider impacts on the environment or economic factors.\u00a0 I’ll leave it to sources like Michael Pollan<\/a> and “King Corn”<\/a> to provide the argument and document the numbers.\u00a0 As summarized<\/a> by Pollan,<\/p>\n

Most corn is grown as a monoculture, meaning that the land is used solely for corn, not rotated among crops. This maximizes yields, but at a price: It depletes soil nutrients, requiring more pesticides and fertilizer while weakening topsoil.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In the economic arena, corn is buoyed by government subsidies<\/a> that artificially lower the price of corn and force farmers to grow excess corn – corn that finds its way into meat and dairy products, processed foods, and HFCS.\u00a0 Clearly not sustainable.<\/p>\n

Am I Eating a Lot of HFCS?<\/h3>\n

If you’re anything like the average American<\/a>, the answer is a resounding YES.\u00a0 We Americans consume 41.5 lb of the sweetener per person per year.\u00a0 It’s in Coke, Smucker’s jelly, PopTarts, and Stove Top stuffing. \u00a0 Wonderbread, Rice Krispies, Heinz ketchup, and Ritz crackers.\u00a0 See a partial list here<\/a>.\u00a0 If you eat processed foods and\/or frequent fast food chains, you’re likely consuming your fair share of HFCS.<\/p>\n

How do I Avoid It?<\/h3>\n

I’ll return to Michael Pollan<\/a> to provide some advice: Eat food.\u00a0 Not too much.\u00a0 Mostly plants.<\/em> Choose whole foods over processed products, eat more fruits and vegetables, and you should be well on your way. The recent food movements toward organic, local food chains and community supported agriculture are also movements away from the HFCS-dominated industrial food supply.\u00a0 When at the supermarket, read labels, choose more natural products (note, though, that the FDA allows HFCS to be called “natural”<\/a>), and simply increase your awareness of what you’re eating.\u00a0 And if you do cut out the HFCS, you just might see some health benefits as well.\u00a0 Sweet!<\/p>\n

Some other sources that may be helpful:<\/p>\n

Change Your Diet, Change the World<\/a><\/p>\n

wikiHow: How to Avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup<\/a><\/p>\n

Getting Off the Processed Food Conveyor<\/a><\/p>\n

Image Credit<\/strong>: Romanlily at Flickr<\/a> under a Creative Commons license<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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