Letters - We Get Those Letters….

The other day I made a post called, “Finally - a Use for Hockey (and the Cat)“, which went into my great love of sports, an update on the diabetic cat who gets kickbacks from the vet, and other items.  Among those items was a reference to Mountain Dew Throwback, with real sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.

I have heard from some rather interesting entities since I started blogging, including all sorts of governmental agencies.  And those are just the ones that chose to identify themselves.  The funny part about blogging is that no matter how tiny your footprint, certain industries tend to worry a lot and feel they need to do P/R.  It’s gratifying that anyone at all takes me seriously, no less very high-income entities.

Apparently because of the high fructose corn syrup reference, I received a response from the Corn Refiners Association.  This was not their marketing person, no sir… this was from the president of the Corn Refiners Association.  Read on at your own peril….

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There is no nutritional benefit gained by replacing high fructose corn syrup with another caloric sweetener. High fructose corn syrup is a natural sweetener made from corn, is functionally superior to sugar, equally sweet, has the same number of calories, and is handled similarly by the body.

High fructose corn syrup is essentially a corn sugar that is nutritionally the same as table sugar. Like table sugar and honey, high fructose corn syrup contains no artificial or synthetic ingredients or color additives.

Consumers can read the latest research and learn more about high fructose corn syrup at http://www.SweetSurprise.com.

Audrae Erickson
President
Corn Refiners Association

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A few points, Miss/Mrs. Erickson:

• I made no statement relative to the nutritional qualities of high fructose corn syrup
• Sugar tastes better: it’s a fact.  That’s my sole criterion.
• The only reason manufacturers went to HFCS is because it’s cheaper than sugar
• There is research, not sponsored by the Corn Refiners Association, which says HFCS contributes to the propensity toward obesity.
• I don’t blame you.  I’d be upset if public perception of my product went negative too.
• I’m sure all four of my readers (ok, six… my parents just got FIOS) have learned something.
• At least you don’t cause cancer, like aspartame.

I’m surprised I haven’t gotten any comments from the frequent targets in the White House :)