Rebranding HFCS

The US Corn Refiners Association (CRA) has launched a campaign to rebrand high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as “corn sugar.” In recent years, HFCS has faced attacks from anti-obesity and healthy-eating advocates, citing research that HFCS leads to weight gain and increased cancer risk, among other health problems. The CRA has responded by claiming that HFCS is no worse for the body than sugar. The sweetener became popular in the 1970s as an alternative to sugar because it is cheaper and increases the shelf life of foods. The Food and Drug Administration has yet to approve the name change.