High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a caloric sweetener derived from corn. It is suitable for use in a wide range of beverages and foods, including ready-to-eat cereals, meat products, sauces, condiments, soft drinks and other beverages. Although HFCS has replaced sucrose in many prepared foods and beverages in the U.S., sucrose remains the primary sweetener used in the U.S. and around the world.
Composition, Safety and Metabolism
High fructose corn syrup was given its name to distinguish it from regular corn syrup. Regular corn syrup contains 100% glucose, which is only about 65% as sweet as sucrose (granulated sugar). In the 1970s, food researchers learned how to convert some of the glucose in corn syrup into fructose, which is sweeter than glucose. The sweetener developed for use in soft drinks had a sweetness level comparable to sucrose and was called HFCS55 because it contained 55% fructose.
While its name might suggest that HFCS is “high” in fructose relative to sucrose, this is not the case. Sucrose contains 50% fructose and 50% glucose, which is very similar to the 55% fructose and 45% glucose composition of HFCS55. Since many soft drinks contain about 10 grams of sweetener per 100 ml, the small difference in fructose content between HFCS55 and sucrose translates into just 1.25 grams more of fructose per 250 ml (about 8 fluid ounces) when HFCS55 is used
High-fructose corn syrup was granted “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA) in 1983. It is safe for all populations to consume, including children and pregnant and nursing women. HFCS is absorbed and metabolized by the body in exactly the same way as sucrose, and like sucrose, HFCS provides 4 calories (17 kilojoules) per gram or 16 calories per teaspoon.