During September, the Corn Refiners Association attempted to counter the backlash of its obesity-inducing image by proposing a name change of high fructose corn syrup to corn sugars. This is yet another classic strategy utilized by corporate America — whenever your product comes under too much criticism from opponents, don’t rework the product, rework the image.
While the name change could serve to distance the product from its history of criticisms and overall negative image, it could also give consumers a false impression that the processing or ingredients have been changed and made healthier in some way.
The proposal of the name change is warranted, as about 55 percent of Americans today list the well-known corn sweetener among their food-safety worries, according to the consumer research firm NPD Group. Many companies have already responded to this negative portrayal of high fructose corn syrup by removing it from their products and switching to sugar. Popular name brands such as Sara Lee, Hunt’s Ketchup and Snapple have all publicly illustrated their switch to sugar.
To put it into perspective, the Corn Refiners Association spent as much as $20 million on a massive public relations campaign about the natural goodness of high fructose corn syrup in 2008. $20 million is nine times more than what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention allocated that year for its entire 5-a-Day fruits and vegetables program.
The bottom line is that we should not simply go after corn syrup, but consider decreasing our sugar intake all together.
“Sugar and high fructose corn syrup are nutritionally the same, and there’s no evidence that the sweetener is any worse for the body than sugar,” Executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest Michael Jacobson said.
The juggling act for a college student can be tough, and sometimes our diet reflects that. Some students rationalize that they must consume a food item high in sugar for fuel.
The fact of the matter is that we all make choices during college that can affect the outcome of our future. By making the decision to consume healthy foods, our chances of ensuring a future with a positive outlook toward our health becomes possible. Because, after all, we are the future leaders, and it lies in our power to reform the adverse conditions concerning our health. The implications in doing so not only affect our generation, but many generations to come.
Mai Tran is a political science junior and may be reached at [email protected].
