Why is corn syrup found in almost everything we eat?

Question

In almost 99% of things we eat, if you look at the ingredients, you will notice that corn syrup is usually among the ingredients. Although there are many other things that are contained in foods, corn syrup is so frequent among those ingredients that it has brought it to my attention. What does corn syrup contain or do that makes it such a universal food ingredient? Is it a flavor enhancer? Preservative? What?

Answer 1

Corn syrup is a liquid sugar and much cheaper to use.

Answer 2

it's a cheap substitute for refined sugar cane and is much worse for us as a whole...

is there a tie between the time that corn syrup became common place as an ingredient and when America as a whole started to become obese?

do other countries utilize corn syrup like we do?

on the flavor enhancement, I think that is about the last thing it does... personally, I'd say that, like everything else, it's about the bottom line and health concerns for the products being churned out is way down on the priority list.

why don't we outlaw/ban the use of corn syrup?

Answer 3

We grow a lot of corn in the US and for many years there were surpluses (lately price has jumped and it is in high demand). Big Argi-businesses have sought to find channels for that. Corn is especially good at making sweeteners because it produces about 25% more sugars than most other plants. So corn syrup and High Fructose Corn Syrup quickly became the preferred source of cheap sweeteners.

If you want to read a good book on where your food comes from and the business behind it I recommend Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilema". Very well researched look at everything from big factory farms to growing/hunting/gathering it yourself. He discusses just how much corn the average person consumes every year either directly or as feed for the animals we eat. Corn (and soy) is a very big business in this country

Answer 4

Corn syrup is used mainly as a sweetener. It is generally less expensive then sugar. If you look more closely at some labels you may notice it says "corn syrup and/or sugar". Food companies will use what ever combination is less expensive at the time to generate the greatest profit.

Answer 5

Corn syrup is sugar. It makes bad food products taste more enticing. It's just another way of fooling consumers. Good that you actually read the ingredients.

Answer 6

Corn syrup is an inexpensive and effective ingredient used for sweetening all types of food products, especially sweetened drinks. It is basically sugar in liquid form so it is easy for large food producers to transport and put in their products.

Answer 7

Corn syrup is a cheap filler, allowing manufacturers to "create" more product for a lower price. Corn syrup is so cheap because the federal government subsidizes farmers to grow corn. It costs less for the farmer to grow, who in turn sells the corn for less to producers of corn products, corn syrup being one of them. They in turn are able to sell it to food manufacturers cheaply, who add it to their "foods". Since it is a sugar, it makes food sweeter and more acceptable to eat.

Answer 8

Being a diabetic I had to verify one elementary element approximately corn syrup and different varieties of sugar. What replaced into which you're saying? Your physique can no longer distinguish one variety of sugar from yet another. If its an ose its sugar. in case you consume too a lot sugar of any variety that's no longer a stable element to do. Lactose, fructose glucose. does not count.

Answer 9

I don't really know. I don't generally eat prepared foods, but I read labels, and avoid anything with corn syrup in it.

Answer 10

because corn syrup is use for most thing they produce,is a good thing that why they use it all the time