This blog is quite interesting. I am aware of the use of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), but I really wanted a thorough explanation as to what exactly HFCS is and how it is made so that I can better understand this blog and Jessica‘s reasoning. According to wikipedia.com, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is any of a group of corn syrups which have undergone enzymatic processing in order to increase their fructose content and are then mixed with pure corn syrup (100% glucose) to reach their final form.
This article also explains how HFCS is produced. It always interesting to understand how something that you consume daily is created. It may sound cliche, but knowledge, truly is power. Once someone understands the production of a food they consume regularly, they can make better, healthier dietary choices.
It is also important to discuss the health risks associated with the consumption of HFCS such as obesity and cardiovascular disease as these risks could affect anyone.
The most interesting section of this article is the discussion on food companies and thier liberal (and sometimes falsified) use of the word “natural”. As consumers, we are not given the opportunity to make informed decisions about our purchase of products that are truly “all natural” versus products that are not. Unfortunately, the USDA does not have an explanation for what it is that truly defines “natural”. Thus, many companies get away with using the enticing "all-natural" label on their products to lure unsuspecting consumers into their HFCS-filled trap.
This blog is interesting as it explains that almost everything we eat is filled with unhealthy and unnatural additives. I believe that many people take food at it's face-value, just like the “all-natural“ label. When Jess read the label on the packet of jam, she, just like any other individual, would be inclined to believe the jam was composed of some sort of real fruit. Many of us would have just looked at the label and assumed it was. It is discomforting to think of all the horribly negative affects these additives have on our bodies for now and the future. It is even more discomforting to think that we, as a nation are suffering from avoidable health problems for industry profit.
When I did a little research on this topic, it seems that practically all of the food we consume daily has some sort of artificial additive. It seems that the list of things that aren't unhealthy or in some way detrimental to one’s health is miniscule in comparison to all the foods there are out there to eat.
“Does High-Fructose Corn Syrup Have to Be in Everything?” by Wilton D. Alston shares an interesting take on the HFCS topic by shedding light on the underlying reasons for the use of HFCS in today's America. This article explains how legislation and corporate financial gain play an even larger role in the prevalent use of HFCS than we think.
Good job, Chevonne!
ShareRiff
Chevonne,
Isn't it scary. I'm glad you did some of the legwork on this muti-pernicious phenomenon. I was looking at molecular models of the HFCS process and reading things here and there and just sort of got onto one of my tangents back on the wiki. The processes that occur behind the curtain are really quite disturbing. Corn syrup and it's mutated brethren reign supreme in the food industry.
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