Corn refiners petition to start calling it “corn sugar”
The Corn Refiners Association, which represents firms that make high-fructose corn syrup, is petitioning the US Food and Drug Administration to start calling it “corn sugar” instead, the New York Times reports. According to the NPD Group, about 58 per cent of Americans are worried high-fructose corn syrup poses a health risk, and scientists have speculated it contributes to obesity by disrupting normal metabolic function. As a result, it’s gotten a bad reputation, even though most experts agree that in terms of health, its effects are the same as regular sugar. The CRA feels that the name is confusing consumers and want to do away with bad associations with the name, which have already led several companies to stop using it. The FDA has six months to respond to the petition.