HFCS

Public enemy number one on our grocery list is High Fructose Corn Syrup. I believe that it is directly related to the obesity problem we have in this country today and try to avoid it like the plague. One of the most difficult things has been finding food that does not contain this ingredient. I did some searching and was surprised at some of the items that contain this ingredient:

• McDonald's Hamburger Buns
• Subway Wheat Bread (Jared didn't tell us!)
• Stove Top Stuffing
• Corn Flakes (They're Grrreat!)
• Heinz Ketchup
• Miracle Whip
• Robitussin (yes, the cough syrup)
• Ritz Crackers
• Yoplait Yogurt
• Mott's Applesauce
• Claussen Pickles (damn, I love those things)
• Baby Formula (get the hooked young)

So then I started wondering why all these companies would use HFCS instead of regular sugar. It turns out that in 1982, the government set a quota on how much foreign sugar could enter the US. This made sugar prices in the US artificially high and turned HFCS into an attractive alternative. In the rest of the world, sugar is actually cheaper than HFCS.

One last tidbit. Coke and Pepsi switched from sugar to HFCS in 1984. Many other products made the switch around the same time. Think about that timing compared with our current "childhood obesity epidemic". Check the ingredient list before you make a purchase and voice your opinion with your pocketbook.