Sugar Makes Comeback on Corn Syrup's Bad Rep

Makers hope name change will ease consumers' minds

(NEWSER) - The backlash against high-fructose corn syrup has finally led its makers to try out a new name: corn sugar. The Corn Refiners Association wants people to know that—according to its marketing campaign—"whether it's corn sugar or cane sugar, your body can't tell the difference. Sugar is sugar." The association applied for permission to use the new name on food labels yesterday, and though a decision could take two years, the marketing campaign is already in full swing over at CornSugar.com , the AP reports. More»

(NEWSER) - The soda tax is a great idea, and its probable death at the hands of lobbyists serves to highlight all the problems with our tax system, writes David Leonhardt in the New York Times. The current system doesn’t raise enough money, and it’s “complex in all the wrong ways,” a vast labyrinth of deductions, subsidies, and extra taxes devoid of logic. More»

Consumers rebel against chemical sweeteners

(NEWSER) - High-fructose corn syrup still sweetens everything from soda to sauces, but its makers fear that sour days lie ahead. The Corn Refiners Association has launched a marketing campaign to win back consumers who claim the sweetener is less healthy than cane sugar and just as caloric. Corn syrup's detractors even blame it in part for the nation’s obesity epidemic. More»

Sugar producers cite false advertising

(NEWSER) - It's a battle of the sweeteners. The sugar industry is taking the makers of corn syrup to court in a much-anticipated case that starts tomorrow. Sugar producers say corn syrup makers are guilty of false advertising in their assertion that the two products are "nutritionally the same" and "your body can't tell the difference," the Los Angeles Times reports. The people behind corn syrup should stop the ads and pay damages, sugar backers say, arguing that the syrup is in fact much worse for you. More»

To reduce obesity, sugary drinks banned from all city property

(NEWSER) - No more soda on Boston city property, or sports drinks or sweetened ice teas, for that matter. In an effort to reduce the city's rising obesity rates—and the soaring health costs associated with obesity— Slashfood reports that Mayor Thomas Menino has banned all sugary beverages from vending machines, cafeterias, and concession stands. “I want to create a civic environment that makes the healthier choice the easier choice in people’s lives, whether it’s schools, worksites, or other places in the community," said Menino in a press release . More»