The Dollars and Sense of HFCS
Why use HFCS? Let’s start with the savings realized every year by food and beverage manufacturers that use HFCS in a wide range of food applications. You can bet those manufacturers are crunching the numbers and weighing the savings against the demands of the marketplace. So, when the latest research confirms the extremely low consumer interest in seeing you switch, where’s the value in making such an expensive move? Throw in the historic swings in prices of sugar and you add even more levels of uncertainty to the equation.
Even beyond cost, the reasons for using HFCS are clear. From breads that are more golden-brown and breakfast bars that are chewier, to creamier yogurts and consistently refreshing drinks, HFCS helps maintain the taste, flavor and texture that consumers have come to demand in a full range of foods. So, while HFCS and sugar have the same number of calories, in terms of finished product, versatility and cost, HFCS simply has no equal.
Want a quick look at how significant the savings might be? Try the Sweetener Cost Comparison Tool for an up-to-date measure of how the cost of HFCS compares to beet sugar.
1. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) in the U.S. Caloric Sweetener Supply, Ross Korves, June 2011
How do corn sweetener and sugar prices compare?
From January 2004 to Present
Source
Sources: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. Table 5—U.S. wholesale refined beet sugar price, Midwest markets, monthly, quarterly, and by calendar and fiscal year and Table 9—U.S. price for high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), Midwest markets, monthly, quarterly, and by calendar and fiscal year.