The Chemical of Evil...

[acroyear]

...continues to haunt me.

"High Fructose Corn Syrup".

Evil.

and Everywhere.

Its in all but 2 of the "nutritious snacks" that my company gives its employees for free.  And one of those two is "Cheetos".  Its in Animal Crackers.  Its in Nutter Butters.

The real pisser: its in the supposedly best for your health "Nutri-Grain" Cereal Bars from Kellogg's.  Three times.

"Ingredients: Filling (high fructose corn syrup, apple preserves [high fructose corn syrup, apples], ...)..., high fructose corn syrup, ..."

So its the #1 ingredient of the "filling", and the #1 ingredient of the #2 ingredient of said filling, AND it shows up in the main ingredients list on its own.

I just can't stand it.  I didn't used to care, but now that I do, I am still at that state where I am shocked at all of the food items that incorporated this processed calorie factory.

Someday, I won't be shocked to see it.  When that happens, I might as well just quit. 

I'm pretty sure its a key ingredient in Budweiser, only the mega-breweries refuse to submit to a "list your ingredients" regulation from the FDA, something the micros have been pushing for over a decade, for that very reason. ;)

Items that have that poison, and more of it than you might think...

• breakfast syrups are now more corn syrup / high fructose corn syrup than maple, and the major brands all have no maple at all.  pure maple syrup should have this as its one and only ingredient: "sap".
  
• whole wheat breads
• Caesar salad dressing and Yoplait Yogurt.
• every (non-organic) prepackaged sweetened tea (often its in the ingredient list above tea itself) including lipton and nestea
• peanut butter (not all, but the cheap stuff they stick in crackers from keebler or lances certainly does).  most american-made jellys, jams, and preserves.
  
• most condiments (ketchup, bbq, yellow mustard)
• white bread products like low-end hamburger and hotdog buns (particularly those used at McDonalds)
  

simply inescapable...but i'm gonna keep trying as best i can.  I won't worry about it in the things I eat in relatively small doses (condiments and salad dressings, and my favorite apple jelly), but otherwise if i see a snack that lists it as an ingredient (and certainly something that claims to be nutritious and yet lists it 3 times, including the first two items on the list), then its something I will, quite literally, live without.

Comments

[javasaurus.livejournal.com]

Regarding ingredient labels:
Alcoholic beverages are not regulated as foods: they fall in between the FDA and the Treasury Dept. (which regulates alcohol, tobacco, and firearms for some bizarre reason). That always means that regulations get screwy. Further, different states have different labeling regulations.

From this washington post article:
The FDA can weigh in on few labeling cases, the group said, and the alcohol bureau has no expertise in diet or nutrition.

FDA spokeswoman Laura Alvey said the FDA requires labels on anything containing less than 7 percent alcohol by volume, except malt beverages.

The alcohol bureau did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

Jeff Becker, president of the Beer Institute, a trade association, said the group is analyzing the proposal, but he noted: "Beer labeling has been regulated for decades by a balance of federal and state interests and authorities."

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

it probably goes back to enforcement during prohibition. the regulation then was because they were illegal. later, when repealed, ATF continued to manage it for tax reasons. all of those items are heavily taxed, whereas food is generally under fewer taxes or even no tax at all in most states (restaurants not withstanding).

if it means money, you can be damned sure that an armed power will be around to enforce it. if its just a matter of safety, then they can just sic the lawyers and be done with it.

priorities, you know.