The Definition Of Fructose Corn Syrup

High fructose corn syrup is found in processed foods, from salad dressings to soft drinks. This sweetener and preservative is frequently targeted as a contributor to the obesity epidemic, according to the Mayo Clinic. Obesity raises your risk for conditions like high blood pressure, coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes. However, high fructose corn syrup may not be any more to blame for expanding waistlines than other types of sugars, say the experts at University of Maryland Medical Center. This sweetener starts out as corn starch.

Identification

High-fructose corn syrup is created by changing the glucose, or sugar, in corn starch to fructose. Fructose is another type of sugar. The end result is a combination of glucose and fructose, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Types

There are actually three types of high fructose corn syrup, HFCS-90, HFCS-55 and HFCS-42. However, only two -- 55 and 42 -- are directly added to foods. HFCS 90 is used in the production of HCFS-55. HFCS-55 consists of 55 percent fructose and 42 percent glucose. HFCS-55's composition is similar to the composition of sucrose or table sugar, which is half fructose and half glucose. HFCS-42 is made up of 42 percent fructose and 53 percent glucose, so it has less fructose than sucrose, according to Maureen Storey, director of the University of Maryland Center for Food, Nutrition and Agriculture Policy.

Function

If you buy a beverage sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, chances are it's sweetened with HFCS-55. This version is used mostly for beverages like soda as well as non-carbonated soft drinks. The other variety, HFCS-42, is used to sweeten foods, Storey says. Food manufacturers often use high fructose corn syrup because it is cheaper than sugar. It also extends the shelf life for processed foods, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Significance

While high fructose corn syrup has been targeted as a contributor to obesity, there's not enough scientific evidence to conclude that the sweetener contributes to weight gain more than any other type of sugar, according to an analysis by the University of Maryland Medical Center. Earlier studies linked beverages sweetened with high fructose corn syrup to obesity, notes the Mayo Clinic and the bandwagon took off from there. As of 2010, research into the issue continued, according to the Mayo Clinic. However, leading dietitians blame diets that are too high in calories, not a particular sweetener, for rising rates of obesity, notes Heidi Knapp Rinella in the October 13, 2010 "Las Vegas Journal-Review" article, "Experts blame diet, not high-fructose corn syrup, for obesity." Whether high fructose corn syrup contributes more to obesity than other types of sugars or not, many of the processed foods made with the sweetener are high in calories while providing low nutritional values, according to the Mayo Clinic. In general, including such empty calorie foods and drinks in your diet can promote obesity, note the experts at the Mayo Clinic.

Theories/Speculation

Since high fructose corn syrup has taken such a bad rap, the Corn Refiners Association is asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to change its name to "corn sugar," says Tara Parker-Pope in the September 14, 2010 "New York Times" article, "A New Name for High-Fructose Corn Syrup." The association's argument is that renaming the sweetener is the only way to clear consumer confusion about it. At the time the article was published, 58 percent of Americans were worried that high fructose corn syrup posed a health risk.