What is it about corn syrup that so many companies use it in their food & beverage, despite health concerns?

Question

Talking about the high fructose stuff here.

Answer 1

I would think that one of these days that they will care. Soon there will come a day when they have no one to sell it to, seeing as they will all die from diabetes or heart disease. There seems to be a huge shift in the country towards healthier eating habits, for which I am grateful.
I don't buy anything that has corn syrup, sugar, sucrose, sucralose, dextrose or those other well disguised words for pure useless calories within the first five ingredients.

Answer 2

The alternative to high fructose corn syrup is sucrose, or sugar. Since they have the same composition (50% fructose 50% glucose), companies choose to use the least expensive product, which in the united states, where corn is our main crop, high fructose corn syrup is the cheapest.
Health risks from high fructose corn syrup are debatable. Since the caloric content is exactly the same, the real debate is whether free fructose (which might not be too different between HFCS and sucrose sweetened products) is digested in a way that affects signals in our body that regulate food intake.

Answer 3

Speaking from cooking R&D, high fructose is a constant source of sweetness. It mixes well with most other sugars, flavorings (not savory) and dyes. It will take on the taste and flavors of that which it is mixed with. It handles higher heat needed for thorough absorbancy without scortching or drying out quickly. Most importantly it has fewer empty calories than sugar from beats, cane etc.

Answer 4

its cheap and blends well. They could care less about it being the leading cause of obesity, as long as they make a profit. Most of it is also genetically modified, making it even more questionable.

Answer 5

i dont think they care about society...they just want to make money.