Do you avoid all foods that contain High Fructose Corn Syrup?

I try to BUT, I will never give up my Yoplait Light yogurts no matter how much HFCS they put in them. I love them way too much!

Original Post by crazydiamondchrysalis:

I will try frozen berries. but carrying salad and chicken and premixed dressing and yogurt to work is already taking enough fridge space, now i have to add a box of fruit. Or prep it at home. I'm too busy.

Why do you need to bring a whole box of fruit? throw a few frozen berries onto your yogurt before you leave, it takes about 5 seconds and won't take up any more space in the fridge. 

Original Post by crazydiamondchrysalis:

 Is it that hard to just NOT put the aspartame in? Really?

 

It's not a matter of whether it's "hard" for a food company to do this, it's what sells - there's only so many varieties of yogurt any company can offer, and they're going to sell products that take up the most market share.  Speciality products that are tailored to a smaller consumer group are always going to be harder to find, and probably not at a economical price.  

You don't necessarily have to bring an entire bag of frozen fruit to work - you could portion out the fruit in snack size Gladware or baggies, freeze those, then grab'n'go. Of course, that's if you have the time to portion out frozen fruit in the first place.   I can certainly understand the need for convenience with such a busy schedule.  

I don't avoid it any more than sugar. I am not sure why there's an impression that cane sugar is somehow better or more natural than HFCS or corn-derived sugar. It takes a lot of refining to get white powdered sugar out of sugar cane (go look at a sugar cane plant some time--there's no white powder in it). Nutritionally, sugar and HFCS are about the same:http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/high-fructose -corn-syrup/AN01588/METHOD=print

We use HFCS in the U.S. instead of sugar because of our ridiculously high sugar tariff, which exist because of the turn-of-the-century sugar barons. Basically, a handful of plantation-era sugar heirs controlled all sugar production in the U.S., and they didn't want to have to compete with sugar growers in the Caribbean South and Central America. Because of the tariffs on sugar, sugar is more expensive in the U.S. than it is anywhere else in the world.

Just to be clear; food companies in the U.S. use HFCS for the same reason than food manufacturers everywhere else use suagr: it's cheap. It's not that food companies in the U.S. are especially evil or unregulated.

Original Post by floggingsully:

Original Post by theholla:

There must be some sort of economic incentive for the companies to release the special version, but I have no idea what it is.

The economic incentive is that people who keep kosher for passover will buy it.

But what percentage of sales could that possibly account for? Passover is 8 days long (2.2% of the year), Jews only make up approximately 2% of the US population, and many of those don't keep kosher in the first place anyway. I would be interested to know how the soft drink companies find an economically viable way to release a limited run seasonal product that must be produced under strict conditions on special equipment.

edit: Maybe it is good for ensuring customer loyalty?

Here is something serious to take into account, that no one else has mentioned. Corn is one of Americans #1 GM (Genetically modifed) crops. Corn is in practically everything! Genetically modifed foods are everywhere and you eat them everyday, unless you shop at whole foods or by things in the store that actually say "organic". The FDA has approved GM foods, but this doesnt mean they are healthy. Who is to say several years down the line it doesnt cause major health issue? It has happened with prescription drugs the FDA has approved... they get recalled a few years later. Here is a great example of why genetically altered food can be bad: While farmers were once using DDT (a nasty pesticide) to spray their crops, genetically altered foods can be altered with DDT so that it is cheaper to protect their crops from bugs... You can wash your corn all you want but its not gonna get rid of the pesticide genes... Did you know GM corn is not sold in Europe? My college professor even said Charities in Africa won't feed starving Africans with it!

So yea, I avoid HFCS... though it is almost impossible. The hydrogentation is very unhealthy, the corn is loaded with starches and carbs from sugar, and who the heck wants to consume pesticide?!

Unless you dont want to be bothered by bugs... ;o)

Original Post by suzettezus:

You can wash your corn all you want but its not gonna get rid of the pesticide genes... Did you know GM corn is not sold in Europe? My college professor even said Charities in Africa won't feed starving Africans with it!

Without getting into a lengthy discussion about GM crops (which does have a thread, BTW), saying bug resistant corn has "pesticide genes" is rather deceptive - it's not like it's half pesticide, or that DDT even has genes in the first place.  It would be like saying humans have "polio genes" because of vaccinations.

As for HFCS, yeah, it's not an ideal ingredient in anything, but what's the problem with starches and carbs in corn?  Even raw, unprocessed, organically grown, non-GM corn has this.

Not trying to get into an arguement... I was just explaining a new reason why HFCS isnt healthy to consume. And I didnt say corn was half pesticide... although some love to bath their produce in it... and let me clarify... The genes in the corn which keep the bugs away could come from the bugs who are not resitant to DDT or from the corn that is resitant to bugs.

High amounts of sugar and starches from corn (yes GM or not GM) is a major reason Americans are overweight. In moderation there is nothing wrong with carbs. But pretty much all sodas, snack food, yogurts, salad dressings, marinades, juices have HFCS in the top of their ingredients!!

Original Post by suzettezus:

But pretty much all sodas, snack food, yogurts, salad dressings, marinades, juices have HFCS in the top of their ingredients!!

While I don't argue how prolific it is in most foods, I haven't had much of a problem finding snack food, yogurt, salad dressings, marinades, or juice without HFCS in them.  (I stay away from soda even when there's no HFCS.)

Original Post by santonacci:

Original Post by suzettezus:

But pretty much all sodas, snack food, yogurts, salad dressings, marinades, juices have HFCS in the top of their ingredients!!

While I don't argue how prolific it is in most foods, I haven't had much of a problem finding snack food, yogurt, salad dressings, marinades, or juice without HFCS in them.  (I stay away from soda even when there's no HFCS.)

i avoid hfcs, and i dont have any problem finding foods w/o it: yogurt, cereals, dressings, beverages, etc. all included. no artificial sweeteners either. 

i eat fruit, grains, veggies for my sugars, i don't drink soda pop. my only evil is chocolate. high end chocolate not a prob, cheep mini mart chocolate, a problem. but i dont keep it in the house. being a sugar junkie, i have to make a special trip to cop my fix, lest i do something i'd regret. . . .

so ya, no hfcs for me, unless im succumbing to poor quality chocolate, which i try not to do. . . . .  so much luscious chocolate out there in the world, just waiting to be savored! 

Original Post by bubbles556:

  so much luscious chocolate out there in the world, just waiting to be savored! 

Word.

*high fives bubbles556*

OK, it's not possibly to genetically alter DDT into a crop. When they genetically modify crops, they are enhancing certain natural pesticides that the crops already produce.

Plants produce their own defenses against bugs--else they wouldn't have survived so long without human beings to help.

Try reading 'The Omnivoire's Dilemma' by Michael Pollan (not niche but on best seller lists).  This book will explain the impact of HFCS and other effects of the over production of corn.  The consumer is being guided  down the path of ill-health by the corporate producers of "food" and the impact of the processed by-products of corn.

No, I don't  eat HFCS or any other processed foods.  I value my health too highly.

Yes, I give them ALL UP! I haven't had any in over 8 years now and I will continue to never eat them ever!

There's one way to avoid HFCs - move to Europe :)

No, b/c its too limiting in my food choices, if the 2tbsp of salad dressing I use or 6oz of yogurt has HFCS I doubt its in such a large quanity that it will negativly effect me.