Recent media headlines report that high levels of fructose in people’s diets are responsible for a variety of health problems, ranging from obesity to cancer. Journalists are using the terms fructose and high fructose corn syrup interchangeably, confusing consumers. I think some of the confusion may have resulted in the name stating high fructose corn syrup. However, this past August, Sara Lee in the U.S. announced it would remove high fructose corn syrup from its Soft and Smooth and 100 percent Whole Wheat bread lines because their consumers had asked them to. Fructose and high fructose corn syrup are not chemically the same.

While fructose is made up entirely of the fructose monosaccharide, high fructose corn syrup consists of roughly equal parts fructose and glucose. Fructose is 100 per cent the monosaccharide fructose, whereas high fructose corn syrup is two monosaccharide compounds, averaging out to be about 50 per cent glucose and 50 per cent fructose, depending on the grade.

In many countries, high fructose corn syrup is a cheap alternative to expensive sweeteners. For decades, corn syrup reigned as the industrial sweetener of choice in America. Trade barriers made sugar pricier for American consumers, and corn subsidies made the grain-derived corn syrup far less expensive. In recent years increased ethanol production has boosted the price of corn, and consequently, corn-based sweeteners. The average price of high fructose corn syrup during the 2009 fiscal year was 31 cents per pound, while sugar prices averaged 36 cents per pound, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. 

Sandra Marsden, registered dietitian and president of the Canadian Sugar Institute, explains that the price of Canadian sugar is significantly lower than the price of sugar in most developed countries, including America and Europe, where the costs of domestic subsidies for farmers are passed on to consumers. In fact, Canada’s comparatively low-priced sugar has been cited as an important competitive advantage in encouraging several food processors to locate in Canada. It has also minimized the need for cheaper alternatives.

Dr. Thomas Wolever, professor in the department of nutritional sciences at University of Toronto, and president of Glycemic Index Laboratories, says that sucrose is widely used in the Canadian food industry. Unlike fructose, a monosaccharide, sucrose is a disaccharide. Once consumed, the human body converts sucrose into glucose and fructose (the same two compounds that make up high fructose corn syrup). Wolever adds that humans metabolize glucose and fructose differently. Therefore, when scientific studies report health concerns about the consumption of fructose alone, we need to review the data to verify if the diets in the study are artificially contrived (not resembling a typical diet) and if there is over feeding of one particular sugar or ingredient, so that we can fully understand and interpret the information.

John White, PhD, President, White Technical Research, Argenta, Illinois sites a recent scientific study conducted by Melanson et al. in Nutrition 23 (2007),103-112 that when fructose is consumed in the form of high fructose corn syrup the measured metabolic responses do not differ from the fructose in sucrose. Dr. White further describes high fructose corn syrup as having many functionalities compared to sucrose. For example, it is already in a liquid form, it more fermentable, it holds moisture better and it is cheaper in most developed countries outside of Canada.  Dr. White feels confusion stems from ignorance on the interpretation from scientific studies with artificial diets.  He states that we consume a mixture of sugars (over consumption but still a mixture) in a typical North American diet and not just fructose or glucose isolated in large quantities. 

As I was researching the information for this article, I became very concerned that the media (even qualified health journalists) have done a very poor job of translating scientific information about sugars – including disaccharides, monosaccharides, sweeteners and sugar substitutes – into accurate, easy to understand information for the consumer. It seems that carbohydrate chemistry and human metabolism of it is more complex than we originally thought and understood. 

As North America continues to struggle with lifestyle-related chronic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, we are still looking for an easy-to-blame culprit, whether it be fat, sodium, fructose or high fructose corn syrup. This type of finger pointing only brings confusion to the marketplace. The answer to chronic diseases caused by lifestyle mismanagement is multi-faceted. Over-consumption of foods and beverages and under-activity of the consumer is the foundation of the problem. The food industry has turned to rebalancing by focusing on cutting calories while maintaining taste and flavour in an effort to fix the problem. For example, one cookie company removed half the sugar (sucrose) from its products and replaced it with a mixture of soluble fibre and low calorie sugar substitute, creating a lower calorie option for a population plagued by over-consumption. The question is whether the consumer will eat fewer of the rebalanced cookies, or will they actually eat more, defeating the purpose of offering a healthier option? Only time will tell, as we continue to follow news about rising obesity rates, the nutrients we eat and the industry’s response to ever-changing customer demand.

Jane Dummer, RD, is a leading dietitian for the Canadian food and nutrition industry.  Jane offers services specializing in agri-food, functional foods and food Safety.  Visit her website, www.janedummer.com .