It’s (sort of) Official! FDA’s Geraldine June says that High-Fructose Corn Syrup is Not ‘Natural’

An article on the http://foodnavigator-usa.com/ web site quotes Geraldine June as saying, “The use of synthetic fixing agents in the enzyme preparation, which is then used to produce HFCS, would not be consistent with our … policy regarding the use of the term ‘natural’.”  She then goes on to say, “… the corn starch hydrolysate, which is the substrate used in the production of HFCS, may be obtained through the use of safe and suitable acids or enzymes.  Depending on the type of acid(s) used to obtain the corn starch hydrolysate, this substrate itself may not fit within the description of ‘natural’ and, therefore, HCFS produced from such corn starch hydrolysate would not qualify for a ‘natural’ labeling term.”

This is a very big deal, in my opinion!  Any products which are currently labeled as “natural” but that contain hfcs, will now have to either update their labelling or remove the HFCS.  I personally advocate for the latter!

It’s also very amusing to me, because the Corn Refiners Association put out a propaganda/spin type website in early February called “sweet smarts.”  And on this web site (which I wrote about in the blog entry Corn Refiners Association Launches Web Site to Inform Us All About Sweeteners) they said that high-fructose corn syrup is considered natural based on the FDA’s definition of natural.  I guess they’ll have to change their site, now.

One argument that proponents of hfcs have had in their pockets was that the FDA had not declared hfcs to be “not natural.”  That is one less card they have up their sleeve now.  I guess they are going to have to get some more ammo for their side.  Or, you know, start producing products with increased nutritional value.