In case you haven’t seen it, the Corn Refiners Association has put out a new marketing campaign in the form of television commercials that is meant to mislead consumers in the typical way that unhealthy industries often do. High Fructose Corn Syrup has been under a lot of scrutiny lately as its effects on diabetes and obesity have become almost common knowledge. We would like to explain to you why YoNaturals natural and organic vending machines would never dream of using products that contain this killer ingredient.
I don’t remember the commercial verbatim, but their website lays out their claims as well: HFCS is safe and no different from other common sweeteners like table sugar and honey, HFCS has the same number of calories as table sugar, and it is perfectly safe “in moderation.” This particular ingredient is ubiquitous, and you’ll find it in innumerable products, which means that your health depends on whether or not you choose to eat foods which contain it. Let’s take a look at the CFA’s claims to see if their is any validity.
First of all, let’s look at motive. HFCS is sweeter than sugar, it extends the shelf life of foods and it is cheaper than sugar. Right off the bat, these facts create a clear conflict of interest between the Corn Refiners Association’s profits and your health. According to the Mayo Clinic, HFCS is made by “changing the sugar in cornstarch to fructose — another form of sugar.” So in that sense, it is a ‘natural’ substance, since fructose does naturally occur. So, is it dangerous?
A study in 2004 definitively showed a direct link between high fructose corn syrup and obesity and diabetes. For whatever reason, this particular form of sugar causes weight gain and is a contributing factor to diabetes. So the question is, who are you going to believe: objective, scientific studies or the CFA? As stated above, the CFA profits from HFCS because products last longer on the shelf and are cheaper to make. You decide who has your interests in mind.
The truth may take some time to surface as it fights it’s way against misinformative campaigns like this one. But one thing is for sure: YoNaturals will never vend anything besides natural and organic snacks and drinks in our machines.
