Dispatches from IFT

HFCS: Controversial or just misunderstood?

10-Jun-2009 - Last updated on 17-Aug-2020 at 07:15 GMT

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is no different from table sugar (sucrose) and that the public cannot be expected to understand differences between the sweetener and "pure" fructose, says Dr James Rippe from the Rippe Lifestyle Institute.

Stephen Daniells caught up with Dr Rippe at IFT in Ahaheim and asked, if the fructose comparison is not relevant, why do people continue to study it?

“Why do people keep on studying pure fructose versus pure glucose? Well, they find the science interesting, but my point is that it is essentially irrelevant to human nutrition,” said Dr Rippe.

“I think it is unreasonable to expect that the public can make the distinction between pure fructose and high fructose corn syrup. In retrospect, when high fructose corn syrup was named 30 years ago it probably wasn’t the best name, but who knew that it would become this problem? High fructose corn syrup sounds like something that is high in fructose but it’s not,” he added.

“People are looking for a simple solution for a very emotional issue, namely obesity.”