It seems like every day we hear about yet another fast food chain that’s cleaning up this or that menu item to appeal to health-conscious consumers, and McDonald’s is no different: only last week, the Golden Arches announced 100% antibiotic-free McNuggets, and that it would remove high fructose corn syrup from its buns. But there’s still one popular item on its menu that contains a slew of artificial preservatives, and that same HFCS: the Big Mac’s special sauce. What gives? [More]
high fructose corn syrup
Sierra Mist Performs Another Sweetener Switcharoo, Angers Fans Again
By 5.16.16
A sweetener switcharoo happens when a soft drink company swaps out the sweetener that customers are used to and substitutes something else, usually a small amount of a non-caloric sweetener. We’ve previously shared customer outrage when this happened to Seagram’s ginger ale and Sierra Mist, when companies sneaked in small amounts of sucralose (Splenda) and of stevia respectively. Now Sierra Mist maker PepsiCo has changed things up again, rebranding Sierra Mist as Mist TWST, and switching the sweetener out for high fructose corn syrup. [More]
Papa John’s Eliminating High Fructose Corn Syrup From The Menu
By 4.21.16
The next time you eat a Papa John’s pizza, something will be missing, not that you’ll necessarily taste it. The chain says it has eliminated high-fructose corn syrup from its entire menu, as part of its “Better Ingredients. Better Pizza.” iniatitive. [More]
Big Corn & Big Sugar Confidentially Settle 4-Year-Old False Advertising Lawsuit
By 11.20.15
A long-delayed four-year legal battle between Big Corn and Big Sugar has finally come to an end — not with a jury verdict, or with a judge throwing the case out, but with a confidential settlement that leaves a sour taste in everyone’s mouth. [More]
Soft Drink Companies Fund Fitness Programs, Ungrateful Governments Campaign Against Soda Anyway
By 9.3.15
Soft drink companies have an important message to get across to the public: their products can be part of a healthy lifestyle when used occasionally, and when you burn off that Mountain Dew with regular exercise. They’ve even been nice enough to fund fitness programs in many cities, and those ungrateful cities respond by proposing taxes and warning labels for their products. [More]
Capri Sun Replacing High-Fructose Corn Syrup With Sugar In Original Drinks
By 2.10.15
Some familiar Capri Sun drinks will be switching up ingredients soon, with Kraft Foot Groups announcing that it’ll be tinkering with the formula for its original Capri Sun drinks as more parents push for more natural ingredients in kids’ beverages. [More]
Hershey Considering Replacing High-Fructose Corn Syrup With Sugar In Some Products
By 12.3.14
While some products from Hershey already feature only sugar as a sweetener, like the original Hershey’s chocolate bar, the company says that as more customers are shying away from high-fructose corn syrup, Hershey is considering moving toward sugar for more products in the future. [More]
Soda At Walmart Is Wholesome, Healthy, Delicious, Or One Out Of Three
By 4.15.13
Reader Kathy sent along this photo that she took at Walmart. She found this display kind of puzzling, and for good reason. “Seriously? So suddenly soda is ‘wholesome and healthy’?” she writes. “Yeah right… good one, Walmart.” [More]
Fictional Toddler Pleads With Juice Company CEOs In The Sugar Wars
By 3.6.13
The Honest Toddler, fictional brat and online darling of parents and humor fans alike, recently pleaded with the mysterious figure who is the CEO of Juice to start lying to his or her customers already. Why are parents so concerned about sugar and corn syrup, anyway? “‘Is it 100% juice?’ It’s 100% something!” [The Honest Toddler] [More]
Hunt’s Manages To Sneak High-Fructose Corn Syrup Back Into Its Ketchup After 2 Years Without
By 1.30.13
More than two years ago, trumpets sounded, the clouds parted and ConAgra Food announced its Hunt’s Ketchup would now (drumroll, please) be free of high-fructose corn syrup. Then just today, the Consumerist gang was tossing around news bits when we realized that somehow, Hunt’s slipped that HFCS back into ketchup, with much less to do and trumpeting — months ago. [More]
I Want My Trans Fats Back: Consumerist Readers Speak Out About Recipe Changes
By 8.10.12
Last week, we asked you, the members of the Consumerist Hive Mind, what prepared food items you’ve abandoned or fallen out of love with due to a recipe or ingredient change. What we learned from reading the responses: Consumerist readers love their junk food almost as much as Consumerist editors do. [More]
Big Corn Still Believes We Are All So Very Confused About HFCS
By 5.31.12
Yesterday, the FDA concluded its 20-month review of a petition by the Corn Refiners Association to change the name of high fructose corn syrup to “corn sugar,” with a pretty solid “no.” Not surprisingly, the CRA says regulators have done you, the American consumer, a disservice by denying the petition. [More]
FDA: High Fructose Corn Syrup Isn't "Corn Sugar"
By 5.30.12
Dealing what is surely a mighty blow to those in the corn industry hoping to improve the image of high fructose corn syrup, the Food and Drug Administration has denied the Corn Refiners Association’s petition to rename HFCS as “corn sugar.” [More]
Sugar & High Fructose Corn Syrup Fighting Over Which Is Worse For You
By 3.20.12
Sugar and high fructose corn syrup — both have been associated with health problems like obesity and diabetes. But they sugar doesn’t want to belong to any kind of club with its rival, and in fact, the sugar industry has filed a lawsuit accusing the corn industry of false advertising. [More]
Big Sugar Accuses Big Corn Of Conspiracy To Deceive Public With 'Corn Sugar' Ads
By 11.21.11
Last month, the judge in the sugar industry’s lawsuit over ads that try to rebrand high fructose corn syrup as Corn Sugar allowed the suit to move forward but removed the individual corn companies as defendants. Now, Big Sugar has fired the latest legal missle, amending its complaint to accuse those corn companies of conspiracy to deceive the public. [More]
SNL Spoofs Smarmy Corn Syrup Ads
By 5.16.11
SNL this week parodied those ridiculous and condescending “truth about corn syrup” ads the industry put out last year. You know, the ones where a person tells another person, “oh, that’s corn syrup, you know what that’s about” and then is unable to back up the claim with any data. They then promptly crumble under the other person’s withering logic and stream of facts about how corn syrup is awesome. [More]
Pepsi Throwback Becomes Permanent
By 3.17.11
Pepsi “Throwback,” a version made with real sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup, will has been upgraded from “limited time” to “permanent,” the sodamaker announced on its Facebook wall. No more driving down to Mexico or waiting for Passover to snatch some up. You can now enjoy the all-natural sugary pick-me-up beverage as an occasional treat and compliment to your favorite nutritious meals and snacks all year-round. [More]
HFCS Rebranding As "Corn Sugar"
By 9.14.10
Much-maligned high fructose corn syrup is getting a makeover. The Corn Refiner’s Association is vying to get the stuff officially renamed as “corn sugar.” The process will take years, but the propaganda has already begun. [More]
