High Fructose Corn Syrup Has Been Quietly, Deceitfully Renamed

Fact checked
High fructose corn syrup now goes by a new name - "Natural Sweetener" - designed to trick customers into making bad choices.

High fructose corn syrup is a killer. Since humans started consuming it, obesity rates have more than tripled and diabetes incidence has increased more than seven fold. Even when used in moderation it is a major cause of heart disease, obesity, cancer, dementia, liver failure, tooth decay, and more.

So what does the FDA do about this silent killer? It allows food producers to change the name of the infamous sweeter in order to trick consumers into thinking they are not eating high fructose corn syrup.

That’s right, high fructose corn syrup now goes by a new, deceitful name – “Natural Sweetener” – designed to trick customers into making ill-informed choices that will impact on their health.

Consumers are finally catching on to the fact that what we put in our mouths effects our waistline as well as our health. Since consumers have become much smarter and finally waking up to these realities, they are demanding healthier food choices. Every food company is smearing 100% natural on every box of anything regardless of whats inside the box.

Now we have to know the new sneaky name to know whether or not we are consuming High Fructose Corn Syrup or not. Obviously the best way to avoid this mess is to buy from companies you really trust.

Big food companies are hiding ingredients they know we really don’t want to consume in their products. This time it’s the presence of a new version of high fructose corn syrup. But this is not the innocuous fructose that has sweetened the fruits humans have eaten since time began. This is a questionable ingredient with many names that could be causing all sorts of health problems.

The product is General Mills’ Vanilla Chex, an updated version of the Chex cereal sold in most conventional grocery and discount stores for many years. The front of the box clearly states that the product contains “no high fructose corn syrup” (HFCS), but turn it over to read the ingredient list and there it is – the new isolated fructose.

Why is that a problem? According to the Corn Refiners Association (CRA), there’s been a sneaky name change. The term ‘fructose’ is now being used to denote a product that was previously known as HFCS-90, meaning it is 90 percent pure fructose. Compare this to what is termed ‘regular’ HFCS, which contains either 42 or 55 percent fructose, and you will know why General Mills is so eager to keep you in the dark.

CRA explains:

A third product, HFCS-90, is sometimes used in natural and ‘light’ foods, where very little is needed to provide sweetness. Syrups with 90% fructose will not state high fructose corn syrup on the label [anymore], they will state ‘fructose’ or ‘fructose syrup’.”

And the way that they get away with this is fairly simple:

Simply eliminating the high fructose corn syrup designation for the laboratory sweetener that’s nine-tenths fructose and calling it what it really is: fructose. And that’s how a processed-food product like Vanilla Chex that contains “fructose”, a substance that, according to the corn refiners, used to be called HFCS-90, can now declare itself to be high fructose corn syrup-free.

Baxter Dmitry

Baxter Dmitry

Baxter Dmitry is a writer at The People's Voice. He covers politics, business and entertainment. Speaking truth to power since he learned to talk, Baxter has travelled in over 80 countries and won arguments in every single one. Live without fear.
Email: baxter@thepeoplesvoice.tv
Baxter Dmitry

428 Comments

  1. ” Very simply we subsidize High Fructose Corn Syrup in the American Farm Belt, but not carrots, while the Surgeon General is raising alarms over the epidemic of Obesity, the President is signing Farm Legislation (Bills) every year designed to keep the river of cheap corn flowing, guanteeing that the cheapest calories in the Super Market will continue to be the unhealthest.” Michael Pollon

    • What president? Trump has only been in office since January 20th. Say it like it IS: ‘for the last 8 years Obama, etc…..’

      • say it like it is? OK, Trump is President of every white racist KKK and Aryan nation loving American

      • I think you mean “for the last eight years, Obama, and, for the eight years prior to that, Bush, and, for the eight years prior to that, Clinton,…etc.”

      • And at any point did Black Swan say “It’s Trump’s fault”? Any mention of his name in there at all? No?

        Pollon was very accurately pointing out that our government – BOTH parties – subsidizes corn to an obscene degree.

    • Low income areas and schools toss out the carrots, tons even get in the mouths of the kids that need it.

        • Along with both soluble and insoluble fibers, beta-carotene (which converts to vitamin A), vitamin K, potassium and antioxidants, as well as being low on the glycemic index – none of which can be said about HFCS.

    • It in everything but again, no one puts it in your mouth you have to read the indigence. Stop the soft drinks.

    • …..Ouch..!! Crazy, I see the flood gates of hell coming in strong.. MAkes sense too, because corn is the cheapest product to produce and the most you can easily produce. Thats why they have been feeding it to cows and other livestock now for years, when they use to graze on grass and other natural sources.

          • mhh nope .. glyphosate is applied before planting to kill weeds so it’s not in the corn at all but even is it was sprayed it’s still natural by today standards…

          • Which means it is absorbed in the soil and surrounding areas of water and finds its way into whatever vegetation is planted there.

        • technically nothing is natural , there is no wild corn , no wild eggplants , tomatoes, zucchini, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli i can go on and on .. all man made , their ancestor are long extinct

      • I know no one likes to be wrong but you are 99% wrong.. one thing you got right
        corn is cheaper than sugar cane and more available in the US, corn is natural obviously just as much as grass
        oh yes also, cattle is raised on grass, the corn is only used to finish before slaughter .. 90 days or something like that
        corn is still natural whatever that means..as much as alfalfa which is the main grass used to feed cattle .. however neither are found growing wild
        why ? because they don’t exist in “nature” most of what we eat today does not exist in the wild and it’s been like that for thousands of years, all human creations derived from some ancient inedible plants ..

    • If everyone would do as I do and simply leave anything containing HFCS on the grocery shelves to rot, the so-called food manufacturers would stop using this deadly substitute for sugar. IF they can’t sell it they won’t use it. But, sadly, too many people won’t do anything to protect their own health or that of their children.

      • ” The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.” Albert Einstein

  2. The only thing the FDA stands for is “Fooled you Dumbasses Again.” We are owned and run on this plantation by people who don’t give a rat’s ass about us — just about profits.

    • I wish I could post this everywhere. Your acronym definition is amusing and, sadly, accurate!

    • If you think the FDA is bad, imagine if it wasn’t there and companies could put whatever they wanted on the labels. That would be a lot scarier.

      • You need to catch up on the latest news. The FDA apparently is turning a blind eye to the relabeling of food with High Fructose Corn Syrup in it. It is no longer called that, but is now called “Natural Sweetener.”

        Bastards!!!

        • The FDA blocked industry from changing the name of corn syrup in 2012. If industry is trying to change it again, are you sure the FDA isn’t going to try to block it again? Or maybe they already have? I don’t see this story elsewhere on the web.

          • In 2012 the FDA answered to a President who wouldn’t let this sort of shit happen. Now, not so much.

          • Good one! Yes, Trump will be awful on these issues no doubt. But lesst we forget, Obama had a terrible record on health and the environment, and his ACA was an “oral servicing” to the insurance companies/healthcare for profit industry.

          • You missed my point entirely. Carry on, good partisan soldier! With enough folk like you, we can be assured that the rampant corruption afflicting our political system and the vast majority of both major parties will never be reformed, but rather continue until secession and/or bloody revolution become the only viable means of restoring some semblance of democracy.

          • you need to wake UP!!! START READING the food labels and REALIZE that MOST of what is in grocery stores SHOULD NOT be put into the human body (or any other creature) if you DONT KNOW what something is on the lable—DON’t eat it!!! MAKE YOUR OWN FOODS—if you have time to be on HERE, you have time to COOK!!

          • Your post obviously was not meant for me. I READ every label and have done so for years. I also have a list of ingredients that will cause me to put down the product and NOT purchase it. That list includes HFCS (under any name) canola oil, BHT, BVA and a host of other poisons.

            I also do NOT purchase any modern wheat or products made with modern wheat. Since Monsanto convinced durum wheat farmers to “dry off” their fields with Round-UP before harvest in 2007. The next year they convinced most USA wheat farmers to do the same. Eating pasta (made with durum wheat) made me ill every time I ate it in 2008. I have since learned about the use of Round-Up that began in 2007. Today, a bag of any USA brand of all purpose flour contains measurable amounts of glyphosate (active ingredient in Round-Up) and eating it makes me ill. I bake with a 10,000 year old grain called Spelt. It has never been tampered with in a laboratory and its growers do not use Round-up at harvest. It is expensive and I have to drive 50 miles one way to find it in a store.

            If you were referring to my post “LIES!” you need to work on your reading comprehension. That post was directed at disqu1FN3eabvUf in response to his post asserting that Obama’s administration was a POSITIVE for the USA and the world.

          • Obama and his administration has had an overwhelming impact on the American people, and the people of the world, but not for the better! ISIS is creating total mayhem in Europe, not to mention all the trouble in the Middle East. Look at the impact, literally, they had on Sept. 11, 2001. Look at all the impacts on U.S. soil since then; Boston, Ft. Hood, are just a couple. Look what has happened in France, Germany, and just recently in the U.K. Obama did nothing; and now there is evidence that he and Hillary were supporters of that terrorist group. He couldn’t even say the term! He said climate change was the greatest threat to our national security, when he was actually the greatest threat, by chopping our military capabilities back to near WWI numbers. Ever heard of “walk softly but carry a big stick?” He took away the big stick. It should have been shoved where the sun doesn’t shine. I could say much, much, more; but I have decided his supporters must have failed history. What Europe is experiencing right now is horrible, and could easily lead to WWIII. Obama advocated for open borders, for unvetted refugees, and look what has happened. Do you think it is not going to happen here, you are foolish. The worst part is because of his leadership, we have a bunch of wimps populating our college campuses who are afraid of an opposing view, a Confederate statue, a sign that is against abortion, and anything having to do with Christianity. You don’t see us cutting off peoples heads, but Muslims do and they don’t seem too worried. You won’t see conservative Americans mutilating the genitals of little girls, holding them down, cutting with a knife. Racial tensions are the worst they have been since the mid 1960’s, but if the Muslim’s get their way, they will obliterate anyone who does not agree with their religion, and slavery will look like a walk in the park at that point. The ignorance of people like yourself is disturbing. Obama was great at brain washing, and like the pied piper, lead a whole generation of people to the edge of the sea, and if he says “jump,” they will.

          • Come on now, blaming Obama for this is just plain trump speak !!!!!! 911 happened because of the Bush’s, and G.W.’s response created Isis. You should learn your history !! Blaming the racial divide on anyone but trump just speaks to your ignorance !

          • YOU must be looking in the mirror when saying someone is IGNORANT!!! The FDA is a PURE JOKE!!! DRAIN THE SWAMP!!! at least EIGHTY PER CENT of the food in grocery stores should NOT BE CONSUMED by any living creature!!! READ the crap on the labels!!!

          • Carolyn, I don’t believe I am any more brain-washed than you are. I may have different facts. Even if we had the same facts, we might disagree.
            You blame Obama for the chaos in the Middle East, yet it was George Bush, who did use a “big stick,” who stirred up the hornet’s nest by invading Iraq. If you go further back, look at who was responsible for dividing up the Arabian peninsula to serve their own interests, regardless of sectarian differences–https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sykes%E2%80%93Picot_Agreement. I think Obama inherited a mess. I thought the Bush war was a bad idea, but once in, having created chaos, I felt conflicted about simply withdrawing. Besides, there was the oil.
            I could dig in on your other statements, too, but this isn’t the place. I understand where you are coming from. I’ll just make 2 more points.

          • YOU ARE WACKED!!! Obama allowed MORE CRAP food into the grocery stores than EVER BEFORE!! wake UP!!!

          • this story is bullshit but no one here bothered to read the actual story and check references .. people are dumb and lazy they look at the headlines and never do any research

      • The FDA sold out to the highest bidder at least 50 years ago. They are definitely NOT a protector of the consumer. The only thing they protect is the bottom line of major manufacturers of FAKE food.

          • so, poor folks who live in food deserts, are just out of luck.
            We should die quickly.

          • If the only food store within 20 miles (3 miles if you’re carless) is a 7-11 type place, then yeah, you are in a food desert and you should move. But more likely there’s a grocery store where you can shop at once a week and buy the (literal) raw materials to eat healthy. My wife and I are poor and we eat fine, because we make the time to do so.

          • Most poor people don’t have the time to do so, because they’re too busy working multiple jobs trying to keep from being homeless. Or they are homeless and have nowhere to store or prepare foods.

          • I haven’t heard you offer any solutions besides bitter judgment on millions of people you seem to scorn yet don’t know.. the FDA isn’t doing it’s job.. but you’d rather point fingers. thanks so much!!

          • Actually I have offered solutions, and engaged in reasonable discussions, with other people on this thread. You, on the other hand, have posted three angry replies to me, two of which are telling me to “stfu”. Who is being the reasonable, thoughtful one in this situation? Not you, Leslie.

          • Let me add this: It’s a sham argument that poor people don’t have the time or money to cook themselves up a pot of chili or pasta that will last for several meals, instead of taking home cheeseburgers and fries from McDonalds (which, by the way, is more expensive, even in the short run, than buying some beans, pasta, veggies and spices), or that they somehow are financially unable to snack on carrots and apples instead of potato chips and cheese puffs, and that any grocery store that carries such difficult, hard-to-find, exotic items like carrots and apples must surely be at least 100 miles away.

            And don’t try to spin the conversation by inserting the homeless into it, as they have a lot more problems than simply eating well.

            As for your other argument, I suppose there are some families where the parent – single or couple – literally has to work from the moment they get up until the moment they go to sleep, but we all know that millions upon millions of obese and unhealthy Americans spend hours each night in front of the TV or the computer. They absolutely have the time and money to cook and eat healthier, especially as the alternative means spending far more time and money going to doctors and paying for insulin, Lipitor, etc. The majority of people – rich, poor and in-between – are just lazy, ill-informed, and don’t plan for the future.

          • Hmmmm. People may be lazy and ill-informed and the “ill-informed” is what the article is about, but the major factor not spoken of is ADDICTION. Sugar in all its forms (even non sugar sweeteners) create an addictive response as hard to defy as any narcotic. Add the burden of extreme availability AND how it’s put in damn near everything in the grocery store that isn’t raw and natural, and you have all the ingredients for a health pandemic. It’s really not fair to say people that suffer from the effects of this deliberate poisoning are all lazy and ill informed. Sugar is classified scientifically as an hepatotoxin (toxic to the liver). It wasn’t a prevailing part of the American diet until the 20th century which just so happened to correspond to an enormous jump in metabolic diseases like obesity and diabetes. Hmmmm.

          • Richard, my thought, too. Do a web search for the history of Jello and that was a big part of the start of using sugar in everything “manufactured”. It’s a fascinating but sickening story that also has a side-line of being about elitists because those people pushing phake phood got rich . . .

          • OK then, how do we solve the problem of poor nutrition and obesity? Seriously, I’d like to know your take on this, because in this thread I am mostly just reading fatalistic excuses.

          • “WE” can’t solve anything. We, meaning the government or country can barely keep our streets paved. This is an individual’s choice through study and research. It’s not easy, believe me. I had to spend days, weeks, months, (still am) trying to figure out what to eat, what not to eat, how to eat it, how not to cook it, who to believe, which sites to trust, etc, etc, etc.

            We know by now that any gov agency, every gov agency, can be corrupted. The FDA is a prime example as is the EPA. So to leave our health care in the hands of these greedy, unprincipled people within these agencies, is to give them carte blanche over our most cherished human ideals.

          • I agree about the sugar thing. But we do have choices we can make to help ourselves; the lack of desire to improve and laziness is a big part of it for many. Let’s not overlook the fact that much of the “natural” foods are tainted with herbicides, fungicides, pesticides, are GMO’d, etc. So maybe just as bad in a different way. Organic, if it can be trusted, does become expensive for many if not most.

          • Bs on the sugar theory. Ppl are lazier..our society has become more populated and this you will see an increase in illnesses. There are plenty of ppl who eat sugar and they exercise and eat in moderation. Technology is more toxic than sugar. However, I believe high fructose is toxic. It should be banned and companies should use stevia or regular sugar.

          • IF you have no transportation, and the *only* stores within self-propelled commuting distance are “convenience stores”, then it doesn’t matter if carrots and apples cost the same as chips. Carrots and apples aren’t physically within reach to be purchased. Chips are what is available to be purchased . And yes, there are a lot of places like this (check out the USDA’s Food Access Research Atlas : https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas/go-to-the-atlas/). And if you are living in a section 8 apartment, with no yard, it’s awfully hard to feed a family of four with a balcony garden.

          • where I live we don’t have 7-11’s. and no, there’s no fresh foods in gas stations. try being a single widowed mother of three working two full time jobs. my oldest daughter babysits the younger two.. basically, you don’t know wtf you are talking about so stfu you judgey trumptard

          • Wait – it’s not necessarily a judgey comment. Yeah – it’s hard trying to keep a family eating nutritious foods, especially in a food desert. At the same time, it’s up to you and your neighbors to ask the store owners to please stock better foods. As an aside, I was thinking how civil the conversation has been in this thread, and then BOOM came some name-calling. Not trying to preach, but we all do better when we work together on all these complicated problems. Instead of getting defensive, think of creative solutions. Absolutely – that’s hard when you’re exhausted, but think of the benefits.

          • Remove the ) at the end of the address and it will work. The parenthesis is not a valid part of the address. Remove it and the link works.

          • OK then, how do we solve the problem of poor nutrition and obesity? Just shrug our shoulders and say “The poor – eh, that’s just their lot in life”? Seriously, I’d like to know your take on this, because in this thread I am mostly just reading fatalistic excuses.

          • Education and awareness. Until people stop listening to all the marketing of processed foods and realize they are eating their way into chronic diseases, our medical system will also remain a profit driven entity. If the reports are accurate about produce in the U.S. 40% of what we grow is discarded. Before processed foods humans figured out how to acquire, store and eat whole foods. Processed foods are so deficient in nutrients and high in sugar that people eat a lot more of them thinking they are still hungry. They aren’t hungry, they are malnourished. We don’t need to eat as much food if it is rich in nutrients. Science proves over and over that good food, restful sleep and regular exercise is what is needed to stay healthy. Obviously not enough people are listening. Of course teaching human nutrition in Medical schools would go a long way to getting people to listen when they go to any doctor and are told “it’s what you are eating that is making you sick.”

          • all I hear is you blaming people with your judgmental generalizations. do you KNOW all these lazy ignorant people you are condemning? no, stfu

          • In today’s world, a lot of grocery stores deliver. A neighbor may pick up a few items when they go… or take you along. A family member. I went two years without using my car due to limitations (ì have had many back surgeries)… you can still be in charge of what you put in your mouth!

          • agreed 100%, remember the old phrase ” You are what you eat from your head down to your feet”

          • Why would anyone eat chips and that sort of junk foodÉ If you can afford chips you can afford real potatoes.

          • Yes so true, and potatoes are about the cheapest healthy foods out there. Even “organic” potatoes are dirt cheap. One big baked potato makes a big meal that will fill anyone up.

          • Many, many many, many hundreds of thousands of millions of people have absolutely no idea what food is and how what they eat translates directly to the state of their health. They were raised on junk foods / packaged foods and have absolutely no idea how to eat any other way; ever hear the criticisms of vegetarianism? Multiply that disdain by 1,000. Nope, it’s processed and sweetened meats, breads, beverages….. For many people, eating that junk is the only emotional gratification they feel in the course of their days. It isn’t just a matter of them making bad decisions, conscious or not.

          • OK then, how do we solve the problem of poor nutrition and obesity? As I’ve asked others here, I’d like to know your take on this, rather than just see fatalistic excuses on behalf of these “many hundreds of thousands of millions of people” (which literally means hundreds of billions of people, a bit more than the earth’s population, but I assume you were aiming for hyperbole).

          • I didn’t say I have a solution. Do you? You blamed and judged and compared your personal situation to that of people who don’t know how to eat (literally don’t know how, any more than they know how to speak Russian or knit, and expecting it of them without first teaching them is ludicrous) and that’s what I was responding to.

            The “of” before millions in what I wrote was a typo; I meant or.

          • It seems like you do have a solution, which is one that I believe in too: people need to be better educated on how to eat; specifically, how to eat well on a budget. (You can’t reasonably argue that millions of Americans haven’t already been told that fresh fruits and vegetables are good for them.) But that isn’t enough: they need to actually do something with that education.

            Yes, for those living in so-called food deserts, it is difficult to find a wide variety of affordable healthy foods. But since even 7-11 sells fresh fruit and even McDonalds offers salads, at some point, yes, I believe one is being selfish, lazy, and willfully ignorant of the consequences when one eats nothing but garbage.

            And as I mentioned elsewhere in this thread, we all know that there are millions of Americans who do NOT live in food deserts, who DO have the time and the money to eat well, and who simply do not. (I grew up in Silicon Valley; as rich and educated as the majority of the population is, obesity is a problem there too, thanks to a sedentary lifestyle.) I know some argue that fat and sugar are addictive substances, and they may well be, but an addiction can only be stopped by the individual. There’s no magic pill or incantation that will do it en masse. If someone refuses to take responsibility for their health, our pity for them should only go so far.

          • When I was in high school during the 1950s we had a course called Home Economics. In it we learned how to cook REAL FOOD and how to bake, how to sew (you would be surprised how many people now can’t even shorten a pair of jeans), and do other household things. Boys took shop classes where they learned how to use tools. What we need today is a class in high school where both boys and girls can learn basic living skills. They could learn basic things that an adult needs to know run a household You can save .lots of money if you can do basic repairs and cook basic meals.

          • Bravo AdirondacAnnie! We need to get basic living skills back into the classroom if they are not taught at home. I sometimes watch a show called `My 600 pound life`. You see them eating hamburgers and chips, etc., don`t they know that is why they got to be that weight in the first place! Grow veggies if you have a bit of land, even if it is a few pots on a balcony, you can grow tomatoes, lettuce,cucumbers, potatoes,etc., for very little cost. You can buy a bag of rice for $10 that will last you 5 or 6 months, eggs are cheap (a dozen eggs are less than the price of a hamburger). Educate yourself on how to cook these things. I`m sure a lot of kids leave home without learning how to cook and properly feed themselves.

          • A funny only because it’s tragically too often true sign I saw in a catalog reads “I only have a kitchen because it came with the house”. Few statements summarize the problem as succinctly.

          • The key phrase here is “refuses to take responsibility for their health”. People who respond to good information with “yeah, I know, but…” are choosing their condition and I lose patience with their continued complaints.

          • so you are just here to pass judgment on millions of fat people that you don’t know. out of concern? fiscal responsibility? sure.. I bet you’d let him grab your pussy too. btw you don’t look very skinny. js!

          • Fat is actually not the boogie man as we’ve been led to believe. Fat is essential and should be consumed excessively. Sugars/carbs should be curtailed severely. In this way, you will burn fat instead of store it. Good fats are easy to get: olive and coconut oils, nuts, avocados, salmon, cod, even real butter.

            We’ve been sold the lie that a low fat diet is heart healthy. The AHA (American Heart Association) decreed that to be fact without clinical evidence. None. Of course, they were getting payoffs from Fructose producing orgs. So, hey, thanks a heap. They helped create a generation and more, of low fat eating fat people.

          • I agree. I was eating low fat but didn’t lose an ounce. Then I read a book about metabolism and food, which informed me that real fats (olive oil, nuts, real butter, full fat sour cream, etc.) used in moderation were far better than eating low fat because the fat in those foods was being replaced by sugar, chemicals and fillers. So I changed my way of eating and did not gain weight as one would expect.

          • Yes, I lost a few pounds, but nothing to brag about. I felt a LOT better. My blood panel numbers improved. I had more energy. Thank you for the followup!

          • Every child is taught in public or private school what a healthy,
            balanced meal is. kids learn, at some point and in certain classes, what
            is unhealthy to eat and what is healthy. They are taught what should be
            eaten and how much or little, for good health. So, in America, everyone
            pretty much has a good clue about what they should and shouldn’t be
            eating in order to be healthy. Just know that Americans tend to eat TOO
            much, thus if they eat just a little of the healthy stuff each day
            they’re doing fine and shouldn’t be obese.

          • Kids learn what a healthy, balanced meal is in the same way they learn what a tourniquet is and how to use it, that is, fleetingly. This is something that needs to be modeled in the home and actually lived to integrate it; after all, fast foods and junk food are engineered to be hard to resist and addictive. Yes, a LOT of Americans view eating healthily as something only those ding dang urban elites in pinko commie cities do, and they wear their ignorance like a badge of honor (see Trump, Donald), but many others are just plumb ignorant that you are what you eat.

          • jrose I am sure there is time to eat carrots and apples and you don’t need as many of those to satisfy your hunger and meet your daily recommended allowances…However, you mentioned pasta. I have to inform you that pasta is all carbohydrate and very bad for you and wheat pasta is no better. Sadly, I also have read that fruit has been bred to be so sweet that it is not so healthy anymore. Pasta is candy and so is fruit, but fruit might still have a mineral or two. If a person ate raw veggies they’d be doing better than if they ate fast food and chips. Don’t turn to pasta. Chili is healthy. Fruit…be careful with it. Carrots are a starchy sweet veggie too, but better than a McDonald’s cheese burger. The bun is all carbohydrate and the cheese is loaded with sodium and the ketchup is loaded with sugar/fructose…grab some veggies, rinse them off and chow down.

          • Yes…I concur. They actually want the government to help them, which is tax payers money.

          • The problem is that many of the same characteristics that lead to poverty for many people (not all) are the same ones that keep them from planning ahead and cooking – poor planning, inability to look ahead, low initiative, inconsistent personal responsibility, etc. These people are obsessed with all the way “others” or “the system” are keeping them down instead of bucking up. Even when faced with people in the same environment doing better than them, the excuses continue.

          • I worked THREE part time jobs for FOUR years ages 58 to 62—I still make ALL my own food—I just take the time to MAKE LARGE PORTIONS and then eat the same thing every night until it is gone—I don’t care because I KNOW that what I am eating is HOMEMADE and healthy.’

          • yeah, and how many kids do you have? You have a car? The list is endless.

          • Especially if you live in an “efficiency” apartment. No kitchen and the bathroom is shared and down the hall.

          • That’s an excuse. You can make as many as you want, but that won’t change the outcome. You do have a choice. Having said that when we decide to make the choice to demand more from our government and not less, then maybe we’ll start solving our problems. Good luck to us on that because it is us who refuse to unite and do that. We have the complaining thing mastered however; a remarkable achievement.

          • Poor people don’t have the time to grocery shop? Stores are open seven days a week, some even 24 hours a day, so that doesn’t quite wash. Hell, I even see illegals at Walmart all the time, especially on Saturdays. As for the excuse of being homeless, I’ve watched documentary after documentary about the homeless, and the vast majority DON’T want to live in a house, and don’t want people sticking their collective noses in their business. The food deserts, the helpless homeless, etc is just propaganda by the left whose goal is to make people even dumber and weaker. Anyone that has gone to a park will see signs posted that state to not feed the animals because they will become dependent upon people as a food source and greatly reduce their ability to hunt or scavenge for themselves.

          • “should move” is not quite helpful. Many folks are in rent control situations or subsidized housing and haven’t the luxury of opting to “move” . The point still is there are alternatives to consuming junk food. Rice and beans are staples. Throw a few carrots , onions, and apples into the week’s grocery purchases and you’re set. Many many food banks have donations of canned foods and packaged “ready-to-eat” meals that are loaded sodium or stabilizers for shelf life.

          • any excuse is a good excuse if you don’t want to take responsibility. Anyone can by real food and it is cheaper. For example: A bag of genuine oatmeal (porridge) is cheaper than a box of processed to death and sugar-laden cereal and it has MORE servings. You just have to actually cook it. Well, not even, really, my brothers and I used to eat it raw with milk and a little brown sugar, still do if I want cereal.

          • I hear you! As someone who was served powdered milk and was allowed to choose whatever cereal we wished from the BOTTOM shelf at the grocery, there are always choices. We were poor but no poverty-stricken . One thing we did have was property on which to grow some produce . Still many are “confined” by circumstances beyond their control in the case of housing. One thing we can control, is what we eat

          • We are a Married couple of 17 years, living on a fixed income of $1240/month of which $800 is rent. We eat only once a day and have many health issues related to diet and environmental poisons. We are the forgotten Americans who have fallen ill from the poison planet and corporations are getting richer every day. We will forever be poisoned and die a horrible death. No dirt to grow anything in the city we die in. Go ahead and tell us what you want to do about us and the other 100,000,000+ like us in the USA? Yes the number is real, probably more. ✌

          • Consider those in tuberculosis, HIV, malaria plagued, starving, subsaharan africa and southeast asia. Many, many millions more. This economic disparity is widening in the us, but it has been deepening to deadly proportions in these huge populations. Remember Columbus eliminated the Ainu, the people of the first island he encountered in the “new world” after enslaving them. This is the culture. The “american dream” is just a dream to keep up your hope and make you work for someone else’s dollar. Bruce Cockburn sang, “I’ve seen hope among the hopeless, and that was the biggest heartbreak of all.”

          • I am not sure if you are talking about the right people… I am pretty sure Columbus did not eliminate the ainu. The ainu are people from japan. I’m pretty sure there are ainu still around and Columbus was no where near asia.

          • 100,000,000 just like you? In the U.S.? Seriously? Nearly one third of the U.S. is poisoned and unable to eat healthy foods? Big, BIG brown flag on that one…

          • Rolled oats, direct form the mill, raw with cold milk, or with boiling water, stir, and eat – lovely!

          • If cooking rolled oats is not an option… try putting them in water, or a mixture of water and milk and stir well. Let it absorb the liquid over a few hours or even over night. If just water… no need to refrigerate, then add milk if you desire before you eat.

          • They don’t even need to be cooked. I just pour them uncooked into a bowl, add sugar and milk and eat them like that.

          • If you want it cooked, use the microwave (just make sure you use a large enough bowl). If you add apple chunks or raisins and a little brown sugar before you cook it, it doesn’t boil up so much and that adds nutrients.

          • You are aware, are you not, that there are untold numbers of people who live in housing where the only cooking appliance allowed by their lease is a microwave? I’m not talking about only college dorms either, our church is situated in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the US, and we have pantry clients whose landlords do not provide, and in fact, prohibit any cooking appliance other than a microwave because of the danger of fires from open heat elements or flames. Derision does not improve the dialogue.

          • I agree – and for the record, my wife and I live in a rent controlled apartment and are considered “poor” – eligible for ACA subsidies, anyway, which is pretty poor – but we manage our budget wisely, live within our means (and within distance of healthy food!), and cook and eat well.

          • It’s easy to say that but when salads cost $7 and a hamburger costs $2 and you are poor you have to go for what is cheaper. Poor people are sh•t out of luck. It is a treat when we get fresh food.

          • So Claudia, what you’re saying is that government policies have trapped the poor into a Catch-22? Say it isn’t so!!!

          • I live in way up state NY. You just described most of the county… and the next county… and the next county

          • So they should just move, huh. Like is really that easy. It is because of people like you, that stuff never gets fixed

          • It’s because of “people like me” that stuff never gets fixed? Okay then, I assume you see yourself as someone who tries to fix stuff. So as I’ve asked other people here (none of whom took the bait), what is your solution for our epidemic of obesity and poor nutrition? What would you do if you were in charge?

            I’m serious – instead of coming here to merely insult me, why don’t you share your solutions, so that other people may learn from you? For instance, what do you do to eat well on a budget, and what would you do to get others to eat equally well?

            And by the way, my “they should just move” comment was tongue in cheek; my contention is that everybody everywhere has the capacity to eat well, and it doesn’t mean they have to grow lush gardens in their Section 8 apartments or drop $200 a week at organic farmers markets.

          • I think the solution is to totally abolish privatized health insurance and the private disease care system. Replace it with Nationalized Single Payer Health Care. It’s been proven in other countries that getting rid of privatized insurance and revamping one’s medical system away from profit results in money that goes into education and prevention… instead of treatment. Next, it’s time to get rid of Capitalism including the Military Industrial Complex and Big Pharma and Agribusiness. In Europe, most people eat locally grown food and that’s what we need to go back to. NO MORE CORPORATE FOOD. NO MORE CORPORATE HEALTH CARE. Yes, these actions would fix everything.

          • Well, one way that can help you save money for real food would be to get rid of the cell phones every poor person seems to be able to afford every month (I can’t), and those big screen tv’s hanging on ghetto walls and the $150 a month for the cable for them. Come on, you can make many better choices. Many other “necessities” that aren’t.

          • “you should move” easy to say! what works for you doesn’t necessarily work for other people. stfu with your ignorance

          • That sounds just like the propaganda that came out of the mouth of Pelosi a few years ago!

          • Look into permaculture. Specifically Geoff Lawton and Zaytuna farms. They have help desert dwellers get gardens, trees, food flourishing in their yards, even lowering the temperatures in their own space. It’s truly anazing!

          • Even poor people can raise their own food. That’s what people of the depression did

          • You can buy potting soil and seeds for very cheap in the Spring. You can grow lots of nourishing food in pots, you don`t need a big garden.

          • I was recently in New York City and saw the beautiful vegetable gardens on the roof of the highrises. You can if you want to!

          • I spent a lot of money on soil, seeds, gardening equipment for my patio and it produced about $2 of food. my stupid ignorant fault for not being a good gardener. i should’ve gone to college , again my fault. people who can afford rooftop gardens in NYC are in a slightly different situation, but I see that you need that pointed out to you. sad.

          • that’s a bullshit excuse. i highly doubt that you live somewhere that has NO grocery store or a farmer’s market.

          • umm, you really need to travel to the nation’s poor cities. I highly doubt you’re that arrogant, maybe you are trying to be funny.

          • Yeah, “food desert” If people WANT something, they will do whatever it takes to get it. After all, they manage to trek on down to the welfare, housing and food stamp offices. I’ve rang up food orders for those “poor folks” at Sam’s Club. Lobster, Alaskan King crab, prawns, Angus ribeye steaks, imported cheeses, exotic fruits and vegetables and they got p*ssed off at ME because they couldn’t pay for their Sam Adams beer with their food stamps. They just put that, and their 55″ LED tv on their welfare cash card. Life is GOOD when you’re on the dole.

          • welfare and food stamps can be aquired online after the initial visits.
            Sam’s Club doesn’t take food stamps or any of the government cards. You cannot buy alcohol with food stamps either. You’re just pulling crap out of your behind because you have no actual stats to back things up.
            You Can’t use Food Stamps at Sam’s Club, it says so on the door when you walk in, because you Have to purchase a membership.

          • Not sure what you’re suggesting? Are you saying the FDA is somehow helping you? How?

          • No, poor people should just keep drinking their “purple drink,” eating their orange colored macaroni and holding on to their cell phones and Lexus while we “rich” people pay out the a$$ for their “Obamacare.”

          • You’ve obviously never been poor in a city.
            you either can’t, or shouldn’t plant anything in the dirt in your yard, if you are lucky enough to have one, most apartment complexes have harsh rules about patio, and balcony gardening, and funny as it sounds, Even Dirt costs money that people just don’t have lying around. But, that’s for the shamey comment.

          • and Seasons, what about seasons? Do you expect people in northern climes to just have enough money and room to set up indoor hydroponic gardens to have food in winter?

        • Also, if you are in a food desert, there are online groceries. Thrive Market is a good one.

          • Actually, Thrive Market is expensive. I love their Primal Avocado Oil Mayo, but who can afford $9.99 for a 12 oz jar? I got to try it for free; just paid $1.95 for shipping. But, I cannot afford it otherwise.

            I live on a very limited, fixed income and have to watch my pennies.

          • Anything with avocado will be very expensive right now. Diminished crop, accelerating world wide demand. Higher potential import taxes. They have doubled in price in one year. I’d find a substitute. It won’t change soon.

          • I enjoyed the one jar I got for only shipping cost. But, cannot afford to purchase anymore. I was looking for a mayo made with a healthy oil as most of what is in stores is soy or canola (both on my avoid list). Currently, I am making do with Hellman’s made with Olive Oil.

          • Susan P, make your own mayo in the blender. One egg, olive oil and a little vinegar. I make it in small batches all the time and lasts about a month in the refrigerator.

          • I have, on several occasions, searched for a recipe for mayo, yet have not found an acceptable one yet.

          • Do you have a Grocery Outlet near you? They carry organic fruits & veggies, and a lot of the foods you can get through Thrive, just a lot cheaper.

          • No. I must drive a bit over 20 miles to get to a supermarket. Several in a nearby city have organic produce. I also have a large garden planted.

        • None of y’all understand being poor or in a food desert (20 miles?? that’s larger than my entire city across) If you don’t have a car, and there isn’t a full grocery store with in a couple miles, you are in a food desert. If you are poor, you aren’t buying healthy foods, healthy foods are absurdly expensive. Period. If you are in a food desert, you aren’t in an area that has residents than can afford to have groceries delivered. You likely do like me, and go to Walgreens or the nearest thing is a Dollar General Grocery, which is all unhealthy or low quality, the next nearest full grocery store is almost 4 miles away. People in this thread have it pretty good frankly.

          • you are a RARE INSTANCE—I live in a city and watch welfare cards being used on NOTHING BUT JUNK!!! If I can make my own food at 64 years old, then these young people can as well–AND I have worked 21 days straight–but still made the time to COOK MY OWN FOOD!! 99% of people who are obese and/or eating crap ARE LAZY!!!

          • So everyone you know doesn’t have a car either? Your church doesn’t have a vehicle? You can grow food in pots if you have to. You can also order produce online now if you know someone with a computer and internet or go to the libabry if your town has one. You could write to your township or other forms of local govt to get the ball rolling on something. Im convinced where there’s a will, there’s a way.

          • Since people on this thread are so righteous, maybe you all could help get that ball rolling for the less informed and vulnerable.

          • Pots cost money. Potting soil cost money. Seeds or seedlings cost money. Fertilizer costs money. Apparatus (e.g., cages for tomatoes) costs money. Skills to grow at all take time to develop. It’s easy to say “just grow something”, but I will tell you that as an avid gardener, there was a lot of upfront costs just to getting started, and ongoing costs to keep it going.

          • I know not everyone has a green thumb…I certainly do not, I have to work my actual garden. Which is another reason I like container gardens. I just drove and walked around Nashville and there are several balcony and window gardens that can be seen. Go to the library, read a book. Look it up online if one has that amenity. Talk to people in the neighborhood that seem to have a green thumb. I’m not saying you can grow all your food by no means, especially in the efficiency apartment you described earlier, but one can supplement their diet if they so choose. Life is all about the choices we make and the opportunities we take. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

          • I’d be really surprised if you could grow enough food for a family in pots on your balcony.

          • as mentioned in my post, no one can not grow all their food in containers, but they certainly can supplement it.

          • I have lived in rural communities, the suburbs and the metro, where there is a will there is a way, IMO. Recycling can significantly reduce costs for pots, if not cut that cost out completely: recycled plastic containers (coffee cans, ice cream buckets, baby wipe containers, yogurt cups, etc) become pots, egg cartons make great starters for seeds and if you buy the cardboard egg cartons you can cut them and plant directly into soil. Potting soil doesn’t have to be bought, one can mix their own at home and a composting bucket is great to help fertilize. Pots don’t have to be pretty, just functional. Seeds can be gathered from many fruits and vegetable purchased, but beware of GMO’s. Some of the best grape tomatoes I have ever grown came from a Wendy’s salad 12 years ago. I continue to save seeds from my harvests and plant them the next year. I have fruit trees growing from fruit I bought at Walmart and farmers markets. And actually if you are not growing a large area, the skill is minimal and can be very therapeutic, relaxing and rewarding. I have taught all of my children in their preschool years to keep their own container gardens, which are much easier to maintain and less weeding than a large garden area. As produce has become more commercialized and putting small farm out of business, the basic skill of gardening is being lost with each generation. Some of my best childhood memories involve my mother’s and great-grandmothers gardens. I wish I had their skills, but my mother quit gardening by the time I was in first grade and my g-grandma was not able to long after that. People of every socio-economic status are being affected health wise by what the FDA and big brother consider safe and the statistics are there to back it up. It all comes down to what people value as priorities in there life. As a two time cancer patient, I have to make a conscious decision every day to eat healthy, clean foods and I’m not always successful. As one commenter puts it, sugar causes addiction and I struggle with the addiction. Just some food for thought.

        • Don’t they also protect the makers of harmful drugs? eg.: Side effects include agonizing death…

          • Yes! They do! Until the 20th century, most medicine was natural. People knew how to cultivate and use herbs and other plants as medicine in compresses, tinctures, teas, etc. By the mid-20th century the FDA began forcing those who produced “medicines” commercially to go through rigorous testing for efficacy and safety before they could put their product on the market. In the beginning this looked like a good idea as it kept dangerous products off the market.

            Then came the corruption. There were no laws preventing FDA officials from leaving government work and going to work for the pharmaceutical company where they could make a great deal more money. Today the revolving door between government work (FDA) and the pharmaceutical industry is a dirty joke on the citizens of the USA. Work for the pharmaceutical company, make lots of money, then take a few years to work at FDA where you can control the regulations and make the pharmaceutical company even more profitable. Then go back to private industry and make even more money. What gets lost in all this is what is best for the people.

            A few decades ago, Germany spent the money necessary to test the efficacy of natural treatments and determine what is and is not both effective and safe. Today, a doctor in Germany can prescribe a pharmaceutical drug or a natural treatment. The decision is between the patient and his doctor. In the USA, the patient must go to great lengths to learn for himself about natural remedies and if choosing natural or pharma, must search out the right treatment and a source for it, without help from the FDA or any doctor. Also, while there are many natural treatments available on today’s market, they cannot be advertised as a “cure” or the FDA sends in their armed thugs to shut down the business and make it disappear. I have some experience with this type of action.

            In 2000 I suffered from osteoarthritis in my hands that pained me enough I spent some part of every work day sitting at my desk, massaging the palms of my hands a crying due to pain. I was 54 years old. I had osteoarthritis in my neck from my mid-20s and hips and knees from times between my 20s and 50s. But the hand were the worst of it. Then I discovered a “cure” at a flea-market one weekend. But the seller NEVER used the word cure. I spent $75 on a bottle of capsules made of all natural ingredients. I took them over a 3 week period, as directed, and have not suffered a single pain due to osteoarthritis since. I am now 71 and pain free still.

            In 2005, I sent a letter to the company to purchase a bottle of the capsules for a friend who suffered daily from osteoarthritis. My letter came back marked “addressee unknown”. I then phoned the number I had for the company only to learn that number then belonged to a private residence and they had never heard of the company. Next I searched the internet for the product and got ONLY 1 hit. That hit was an article about fraudulent arthritis cures. The product I had taken was mentioned only in the very last sentence of the article. That sentence read: “But, xxxx-XXX” appears to be the real deal.” It was the real deal and I am living proof of that. Someone had used the word cure in front of the wrong person and the FDA had shut the business down. The FDA can make it disappear as if it never existed.

            The FDA is so far in bed with Big Pharma that is not only is it not taking care of the people’s health, it is actually only protecting the corporate profits of Big Pharma. First you are prescribed a pill for an ailment. Now, this pill will NOT cure your ailment, but it will mask the symptoms so you should feel a bit better. But, it also has side effects and you are given another pill to counter-act those symptoms. Then another pill to counter act the symptoms of that pill and on and on and on.

            It is my opinion that the FDA should be shut down and the government set up a new and different agency to protect the public from outright fraud in remedies for illness. But, no one currently connected with Big Pharma or the FDA should be allowed within 100 miles of the new agency. This new agency needs to do what Germany did decades ago and make natural remedies as easy to obtain as pharmaceutical drugs.
            There are cures out there that do not have dangerous side effects. But the public will never see them as long as the current FDA is in charge.

      • The FDA, just as all government agencies, exists to give the ‘sheep’ and ‘cattle’ a false sense of security. They provide NO real protection against the vicissitudes of life. What they do provide is limited freedom and increased cost of living.

          • That could probably have been dealt with through the courts. None the less, what I’m speaking of is things like the FDA, which causes the drug manufacturers to spend billions on new drug trials and tests, which cost us all before they become ‘FDA approved.’ And yet, after the billions spent and and FDA assurances, it offers no protection for the consumer or the manufacturer. How many times have you heard of approved drugs that have caused problems or even death for users and seeing the drugs pulled from the market (after huge sums have been spent on research and testing)? Then comes the lawyers and multimillion dollar lawsuits. In the end, no one is protected buthey, at least the lawyers get rich! /sarc

          • Courts don’t do recalls to save people’s health/lives, they deal with damages after people’s health/lives have been ruined. A proactive system is a good thing.

          • I’ve subscribed to the recall notifications. They ARE very useful. Unfortunately, it seems like there are several every day.

      • Quit making excuses. The FDA, like the EPA, the FCC, the FEC, and God help us, the FDA were all doing magnificent jobs of protecting the American people… up until the corporations they used to regulate and monitor took over… right about the time Reagan and the Bushes started running things.
        Corporations = GOP = Poison.

          • And which party is it that subsidizes corn production, flooding our market with corn sugars? Oh, right, both of them. Stop being WWF fans, people. It’s a show, and whomever you think is the bad guy and whomever you think is the good guy, they’re all playing their parts in the script.

          • That was my point – you tried to make it a political party thing. I was trying to say all sides are in this to make a buck and there are no good and bad sides. I just wish they cared about those they are affecting or hurting. Not sure you realize that the democrats are also wealthy when they hit the upper echelons of politics. Republicans arent the only weathly corporate greedy people.

        • The corruption and take over happened soon after its origins! This is not a republican/democrat issue, it is the overall corruption of our government no matter who’s in place.
          Beginning as the Division of Chemistry and then (after July 1901) the Bureau of Chemistry, the modern era of the FDA dates to 1906 with the passage of the Federal Food and Drugs Act; this added regulatory functions to the agency’s scientific mission. The Bureau of Chemistry’s name changed to the Food, Drug, and Insecticide Administration in July 1927, when the non-regulatory research functions of the bureau were transferred elsewhere in the department. In July 1930 the name was shortened to the present version. FDA remained under the Department of Agriculture until June 1940, when the agency was moved to the new Federal Security Agency. In April 1953 the agency again was transferred, to the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW). Fifteen years later FDA became part of the Public Health Service within HEW, and in May 1980 the education function was removed from HEW to create the Department of Health and Human Services, FDA’s current home. To understand the development of this agency is to understand the laws it regulates, how the FDA has administered these laws, how the courts have interpreted the legislation, and how major events have driven all three.

        • Better look again at the Johnson administration. Eggs were bad for us, caused heart attacks, and the like.

          • Maybe, though the role of cholesterol is still not clear, and eggs might not be so bad after all. At least the Johnson admin acted on our best information at the time.

      • Um. They already do get away with that. And after Trump’s reign of terror it’ll just get worse.

      • The FDA, EPA and most other 3 letter agencies of government is not there to protect citizens, but to line the pockets and campaign coffers of congress! I guess they have you fooled…….

      • we would probably be MUCH BETTER OFF-as the FDA has ALLOWED bad things in foods for at least THRITY YEARS—Sodas should NEVER be allowed because the PHOPHATES in them EAT PEOPLE BONES!!! Even men and MUCH younger women are getting OSTEOPOROSIS which is BAD—plus they cause DIABETES because of the high sugar content!!! They also ALLOW CRAP like High Fructose Corn Syrup which the HUMAND BODY CANNOT digest!!!

      • No, without the FDA, various private parties would be competing to provide information with integrity to consumers. Think consumer reports, good housekeeping seal of approval, public citizen, UL, etc. The FDA is the poster child for regulatory capture. It, along with the USDA, has skewed the agricultural, food processing and entire wholesale and retail distribution of food markets towards the industrial model that the multinational conglomerates prefer in order to socialize costs and privatize profits. It’s theft and fraud writ large leaving a trail of death, disease and environmental destruction wherever they can reach.

      • Their regulations actually prevent small producers from entering the market since compliance costs eat up a larger share of the profits for startups.

        Large established conpanies love regulation because it protects them from competition and they have the money and connections to prevent the regulators from hurting thier businesses in any serious way.

      • Imagine a fake safety net that doesn’t catch you if you fall. We are spending billions for an agency bought by the highest bidder. Stevia, an herb, was banned in the US for decades because the fake sugar industry didn’t want the competition and the FDA went along.

      • “If you think the FDA is bad, imagine if it wasn’t there”

        Oh, you mean that companies couldn’t hide behind FDA rules, and would actually be fully liable for everything they do?

        Sounds great to me!

      • Omfg, didn’t you read the article? The FDA doesn’t exist! Companies DO put whatever they wanted on the labels! Jesus chrispies on a pogo stick. Have some for breakfast and die.

      • So you’re saying, The FDA is Currently allowing poison to be put in our food supply but if the FDA was gone companies might put poison in our food supply? Oh Lord. :0

      • Doesn’t this article prove it’s already happening under this administration.
        Eyes Wide Shut.

      • Actually, it wouldn’t. We have the worst of both worlds now. People are complacent because they think the FDA is on the job and they don’t do their research or hold companies accountable. Companies pay to go through the process, upping prices, then can still get sued later anyway.

    • We need to stop them from mandating dangerous products, they feed children roach killer that eats teeth and tell them it is to prevent tooth decay…

    • ….Yeah, FDA ..even though its there to act like a Big Brother, its scary its really run by people who are in it for themselves. We little people cant actually prove it. BUt if you look around you will see it working.

    • The FDA is a joke
      I began getting sick at work about a year ago and doctor after doctor couldn’t figure it out! Turns out I’ve developed an allergy(affecting my breathing as well as neurological issues) to things I work with daily those same things have been banned in Europe for 10 years already!!!

  3. Only problem is that no one bothered to check the actual ingredient listinghttps://www.generalmills.com/en/Brands/Cereals/chex/brand-product-list OOOPS! There is no “natural sweetener” or “fructose” listed. DUH. Basic fact checking people!!

    • Taken right off a picture of a box of Vanilla Chex on amazon.com

      [Ingredients: Whole Grain Rice, Rice, Sugar, Fructose, Rice Bran and /or Canola Oil, Salt, Molasses, Natural Flavor. Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) and BHT Added to Preserve Freshness.]

      BHT and Canola are also on my to be avoided at all cost list.

      • Um, as DebraV24 points out, fructose IS listed. It’s still the fourth ingredient, right between sugar and rice bran. How did you type it without seeing it?

        • Reading comprehension, angie497?
          I was replying to SCBluCatLady who claims “fructose” in NOT listed.
          Who is DebraV24?

          • Apparently disqus is at it again – there’s an entire chunk of comments missing. There was another originally comment that it appeared you were replying to, and it looked like you were arguing that fructose wasn’t listed.

            Sometimes I hate disqus. My apologies for the confusion.

  4. The FDA doesn’t have the authority to stop companies from changing the names of their own products. Why would you think that they did?

  5. Just stop eating processed food. While consumers are absolutely victims here, we can all do our best to make the choice to stop eating this garbage and put these companies out of business. No demand for crap means they’ll stop producing crap.

    • I stopped eating processed food a decade ago. I read every label of every product I do purchase. I also have a mental list of ingredients that mean I put the product back on the shelf and do not purchase it. HFCS is at the top of that list and the lone word “fructose” will not fool me. I will reach the age of 71 this Summer and currently have zero conditions that require pharmaceuticals or any type of medical treatment.

      It is actually easy to avoid these junk (aka poison) fake foods. Just shop the perimeter of the supermarket for fresh produce (frozen is OK if it is not seasoned and does not have sauce already added) and meat, shop farmer’s markets and, if you can, grow your own fruits and vegetables in season. Avoid the aisles of package, processed, boxed, bottled and canned items.

      • It’s easy if you have plenty of money and plenty of spare time, and live in an area where there are farmer’s markets and where you can grow your own fruits and vegetables. Not the easiest of conditions to clear for younger working parents with small children who live in tiny apartments and have no money and piles of debt.

          • …or stop being so poor. Live in a big place and hire a gardener. That would fix the problem wouldn’t it Whale?

          • Some of those people are disabled or retired with NO disposable income. Most apartments won’t allow growing food in front of the apartment. I am talking about a friend and her daughter who lived somewhere for ten years and got a no reason vacate order. They are both disabled. There are NO rentals available here so they are staying with me till they can find a place.I am retired but own a home so I do grow what I can. You are evidently talking from a position of privilege that is not attainable by everyone.

          • You can grow micro greens in the smallest apartment., good healthy soups are very cheap to make, Processed foods and take out are more expensive than whole foods prepared at home. The difference in nutrition is amazing as well. I am on a fixed income and live in a one bedroom apt. I grow micro greens year round so always have fresh greens,I eat a variety of fresh home made soups using homemade bone broth for pennies a serving. I have a few pots I grow small tomatoes,miniature cucumbers and salad greens in. All can be done indoor if you need to.All very inexpensive just requires planning and a bit of work.

          • Good for you, but aren’t you assuming everyone has your level of education and knowledge? Have you ever seen a mom feeding her baby with decayed teeth soda from a bottle? Have you heard of mothers diluting infant formula with water because they couldn’t afford to feed it straight? Not to mention the higher risk of death to formula-fed infants. Some people grew up in a culture that emulated American progress — processed foods, soft drinks, baby formula etc. are status symbols. They don’t know about any health effects and the companies that sell the stuff aren’t going to say anything..

          • I have seen the thing you mention, as well as the negative effects this has on infant growth and health. IMO this is where community outreach programs and community gardens would be great. If a young family is receiving welfare, I think it would be awesome to require them to attend in-services every so often to help educate and empower the families to better help themselves. I also think it would be awesome for schools of all levels to include students engaging in establishing a maintaining a garden to supplement school lunch programs. The sense of pride children get from growing something themselves in AWESOME and guess what they are more likely to eat their vegetables because they invested their time in it.

          • I agree, and it seems to work where it is tried, to make young people enthusiastic about eating healthy, fresh foods.

          • If there are no rental where they are they should move to where rents are more reasonable. Even disabled people can earn extra money. My husband is 100% disabled. You don’t have to grow your own food, just buy fresh instead prepared foods. Much cheaper! One can choose to be a victim or a victor………

          • The 2 people I’m keeping off the street are mentally disabled. The mother is guardian to her daughter, who is INCAPABLE of living on her own our making pertinent decisions. The mother can not walk even half a block. What you are saying is literally impossible for them and they must be near a bus stop and social services. That means they must stay in this city. You are talking from a position of privilege physical and mental health wise. There are no rentals available, they can not afford a rental fee, they have been denied rentals because of credit. The daughter is not allowed to have an account so it is impossible to get credit. Her mom has fair credit. Some agencies require you have double the income of the rent, also denying them because of their fixed income. Do you or anyone you know have those problems? Most likely not! The mother’s only mode of transportation is an electric scooter. It is a modern God send for her. You figure it out, you’re so smart!

        • Anyone can grow a portion of their own food. When my children were small I had a garden that was only 10′ x 10′. Many vegetables can be grown in pots or other compact areas. I certainly am not wealthy. I am a senior citizen living on a limited fixed income and yet, I can grow a portion of my own food. I also find that by cooking from “scratch” and avoiding all the packaged, pre-made junk in the grocery that I can afford to eat steak at least once a week. It all depends on what your priorities are. Also, I save a ton of money simply by staying healthy. Eating all that fast, easy pre-made junk is bad for your health. At 71, I have zero need for any pharmaceutical medicines, thus giving me more to spend on healthy eating.

          Start your education on gardening in small spaces with a search on “vertical gardens”.

          Don’t have time to cook from scratch? Search “make-a-mix by eliason harward and westover”. They are cook books called “Make-A-Mix”. You can spend a weekend stocking your pantry and/or freezer with you own quick to prepare mixes that contain only healthy ingredients.

          • I didn’t have time during the week for many years to cook every night, however, I’d cook up a storm on the weekends, package the leftovers for freezing and would alternate the past month’s weekend wonders throughout the week.

          • The Make-A-Mix cookbooks make it possible to put a meal on the table in less than 30 minutes. The meat mixes have the meat and seasonings all cooked before going into the freezer. The dry mixes only require the addition of wet ingredients and are oven (or stove) ready in minutes. The shortening is the time consuming part of cakes, cookies, breads, brownies, etc and that is in the mix. Just add milk, eggs, stir and bake.

        • If you have no money and piles of debt and can’t afford to feed your children healthy food, then you shouldn’t be making babies in the first place.

          • My 21 year old neighbor in NC had 3 kids before she found out about birth control. Just sayin’. Your prescription makes a lot of assumptions.

        • No matter how poor you are, it’s always cheaper to prepare your own foods instead of buying easy prepackaged food. It’s a bad excuse to say that fresh food is more expensive! I call it lazy, no matter what size apartment you live in.

        • Eating clean food can help you save money and pay off that debt. Have you ever actually calculated how much you spend on packaged (non)foods? It’s very expensive, and will increase your medical bills, if not now, in the future.

      • indeed!! I’ve not eaten that much processed food-like products for a couple years now. I still enjoy some stuff from a box for nostalgia but mostly I eat good, clean, lean protein from my local butcher and fresh vegetables. Mostly drink water and I’ve cut out all sodas and/or artifically sweetened fruit juice drinks. I used to drink a lot of those. Not so much anymore. I’m a stroke survivor 9 years removed in July so I can’t afford to take any chances eventhough my diet had nothing to do with what caused the stroke.

    • ..good point, problem is as inflation rises, and the economy becomes more unbalanced, ..the better products go out of reach for many. So, to live and survive you need to barter for the next affordable product in line.

      • If only people would realize that inflation is 100% caused by our “beloved” government printing money we don’t have, so “everyone” can have stuff! We will wake up one day just like Venezuela or Zimbabwe and all our dollars will be worthless! Fiat currencies always die a sudden death!

    • A good idea, but not an option for everyone. Not everyone has the budget to get fresh foods all the time, nor access to them. Food islands where very little produce are available remain a real issue.

      • That’s an uninformed “cop out” answer that I’ve heard over and over throughout the years. Organic food, aka food, as opposed to over-processed chemically artificial food, has such a higher nutritional content, that you only need to eat half as much, or less, to get what your body needs each day. So, it comes out fairly equal cost-wise, but way better in favor of the organic whole foods health-wise! Plus, it’s a whole lot better “waist”-wise. It just takes some extra work with wrapping your brain around the psychology of eating less to get more!

        • Hardly uninformed and not a cop-out. Truth. Informed by statistics and experience. I’ve lived in those islands and know how hard it is to locate decent produce. Limited access is limited access, and your punitive mindset doesn’t change that. You may only need to eat half as much, but if you can’t get that much, it doesn’t matter.
          If that’s outside your experience, perhaps you shouldn’t render an opinion on it.
          http://thefoodtrust.org/uploads/media_items/grocerygap.original.pdf
          I will grant that the situation is improving. There is a chain of non-profit groceries opening in lower income neighborhoods here in Minneapolis addressing this very issue, and they are well received. But there’s still a great deal of work to do.
          Food is psychology, yes. But it’s also economics and politics.
          In terms of psychology, instead of blaming people, try to help enact the solution.

          • There’s also the question of time. Cooking a real meal with real nutritional value takes time. Younger people don’t have as much time on their hands as they used to, as they are forced to work harder for less money and deal with stressors that didn’t used to exist.

          • I don’t need advice from someone who was fortunate enough to be born 71 years ago instead of 33 years ago. You know literally nothing about me and yet you’re saying that I’m making lame excuses. Congratulations on not needing any prescription medicine, I imagine that saves you a lot of money. Some of us aren’t so fortunate, some of us have chronic conditions we were born with that require constant treatment and have nothing to do with the food we eat. Some of us have children with conditions that require costly treatment as well. Get off your high horse and ask yourself why people aren’t doing it if it’s so very easy? Either the younger generation is just lazier than yours was (the data does not bear this out in the slightest, we are actually the most productive generation in a long while), or there’s something going on here that is outside your experience and that you’re having a hard time comprehending. Good for you, I’m glad you don’t have to deal with it. But I do have to deal with it, and I have to deal with it for my wife and children, and I could do without your ignorant judgments.

          • And “You know literally nothing”.

            I am so tired of those who are supposed to be young adults whining continually about how those before you had it so easy and it is so impossible for you. My parents came of age during the Great Depression. My Dad had to drop out of school in 9th grade (about 1925) to go to work to support his parents as his Dad (born 1861) was too old and sick to do so anymore. My Dad did not make enough money to be required to file an income tax return until 1957. Yet, we were NEVER on welfare or charity from the government.

            That cookbook I referred you to was one I used, while working 50 hours a week at a paying job, growing my own vegetables and raising a family; so my children could grow up healthy.

            But, you can go on whining about how life is so unfair to you, continue to eat the poisons sold as “food” and feed it to your children. After all, the choice is yours. Meanwhile, me and mine will continue to be healthy and will still be here long after the whiners have successfully committed slow suicide.

          • You offer a lot of sound advice, but I think you could do more listening to others’ concerns, and realize that one’s advice is not usually a cookie cutter for others.

          • Stressors that didn’t used to exist. Such as, smart phones FB Twitter etc. They can not live for 2 seconds without them anymore.
            But what’s important and make your choice.

          • I was more thinking of gigantic piles of debt and ridiculously high costs of living compared to how much our money is worth. But your method of blaming the victim works too if you would rather not think about that.

          • Debt is a CHOICE, people tend to forget that it is possible to live within their means, Other than medical debt which is a major issue for some, all other debt is a choice. High cost of living is is also an issue but even more reason to simplify your life,eat real foods for less $$ than processed empty calorie crap,which will help even chronic health conditions. We could all choose to be victims or we can make the choice not to be. My life has not been easy, I lived most of my teen years on the streets,sleeping in parks. I worked 40-50 hours a week to put myself through school and give my children a better life than I had. Never ever saw myself as a victim.Only you can make you a victim.
            I see people in my job claiming to be broke needing all kinds of assistance but they have nice cars,not reliable cars but big ticket ones, the latest phones and ipads. They have elaborate tattoos, smoke,and eat at fast foods joints.People fall on hard times sometimes,I have had my fair share, but it is still up to the individual to choose to be a victim or choose to better their situation.

          • A college degree is not a choice to get decent jobs. And the cost of that has exploded while wages have stagnated, so working part time to pay for college is impossible now. You also have no empathy or understanding of reality and are reciting bold-faced lies about people on government assistance. Run along, little fraud.

          • People do not have to attend college to get decent jobs. Actually we have lots of folks with college degrees flipping burgers, because the positions that require college degrees are flooded and well some folks choose to get a degree in something that they can not do much of anything with unless they continue to their PhD. Have people forgotten about the trade industry? Pipeliner, welders, mechanics, plumbers, hvac, etc, we need more people in those areas. Yes, some may require vo-tech education, but some can enter into a apprenticeship. If people are willing to spend a little time researching they can probably find employers who will help pay or pay for the training needed. There is also the military option if someone wants an education, but cannot afford it. It is how managed to get my RN. 🙂

          • Not everyone who wants work is capable of doing a trade. Or joining the military, for that matter. The focus of their degree is also nothing you’re entitled to be snobby about. If the only things anyone did with their lives were purely focused on making money in traditional channels, we’d be severely lacking in the arts and letters areas that enrich all of our lives. I strongly suggest you actually research who has the minimum wage jobs these days, if you can be bothered to get down off your high horse and research anything. But you’re clearly too busy kissing up to the rich people who lie to you about what the poor do with their lives to feel better about yourself. I just hope your patients are given far better treatment than your displayed level of respect for your fellow human beings in this thread.

          • By no means was my comment about flipping burgers intended to be snobby or insulting anyone who pursues a non-traditional job, and I apologize to anyone who felt that way. Also by no means do I think I am better than anyone on here, we are all different…just the way that God meant for us to be, that is what keeps the world interesting. I have the utmost respect for my artisan friends and family. Many young people enter college without a clue of what they want to do they are there because their parents told them to. Some do not realize how long they actually have to be in school to practice with their degree or run out of money to continue pursuing their dream. I am not knocking anyone, by any means, it is just a simple fact that I have witnessed in my own family, amongst friends in school and as an educator. I am also keenly aware that there are those out there who want to work but are limited by health reasons, but they are not the majority. I strongly suggest before you make an assumption into something you clarify. Assuming I kiss up to rich people and/or liars is definitely your mistake, I would be much better off financially if that were the case. I simply pointed out that once again, in the majority of situations, where there is a will there is a way. I was a welfare kid, parents were high-school drop outs and I have stood in lines for the government food hand-outs. I worked my share of minimum wage jobs, before and after joining the military. Fun fact many do not know is that many E-5’s and below fall under the poverty level. I know what it is to be in that situation and it would not take much for me to be there again. Not once did I make any personal assumptions towards anyone in this thread. I made generalized comments that were intended for the able bodied and able minded individuals in society. It is up to those of us that are able bodied and able minded to help those that are not. I do my part, do you? Oh btw, yes I do like to ride horses, but the high ones not so much, its a lot further to fall. Be blessed.

          • They have time for electronics, face time, face book ect. The phones are on constantly . Put the phones down take 15 min of prep and another 15 min to cook. Wala chicken and veggies a grand meal in less time than checking your facebook.

      • Arrogance and nonsense if i actually did the math for processed versus non processed foods you would see the cost is extremely high. The cost of food would double if not triple for family’s that caint afford it. The real problem is government subsidized things like corn. the market is unbalanced and your whole foods eating , rose colored glasses arnt helping any one. Think before you pass judgement.

        • I don’t dispute the facts you cite. In fact, I’ve cited them myself. My problem is the callousness of the attitude towards the eating habits of the disenfranchised. My problem is with the judgment the original poster is passing on people based solely on their perspective of economic status.
          BTW, I never shop at Whole Foods, haven’t for years.

      • Definitely agree that this is a cop out. Cost of a box of Vanilla Chex (the product in question here) at Target: $3.29 for 11 servings. Cost of plain old quick oats at Target (store brand) – $2.79 for 30 servings. Throw a half cup of oats with some fruit and milk in a container and let it sit in the fridge overnight. Took as much time as pouring out a bowl of cereal, and costs much less (because you need the milk either way). No sweetener needed – or a little honey or raw sugar if you must. Everyone has access to produce at their grocery store – even the 99 Cent stores carry it and you can look up lists of what really needs to be organic and what doesn’t. Apples, oranges, celery, cucumbers, potatoes, iceberg lettuce – maybe not necessarily superfoods, but cheap and way better than the majority of processed foods. I eat mostly whole foods and my food bill has gone down.

    • Absolute rules don’t work as not all processed food is bad. Oats are processed, after all, and are very healthy. I often like to say it matters *how* something is processed, not that it’s processed.

    • Dear grammar nazi: effect may be used as a verb meaning “cause (something) to happen; bring about”. Since sugar consumption causes a change in the waistline, it may be said to effect the new waistline. By the way, affect may also be used as a noun mean an expressed emotion.

      • Dear smug correcter: Your example only works because you added the word “new” in front of waistline. Saying “effects the waistline” means to “cause (the waistline) to happen” or to “bring about (the waistline)” (based on the definitions you provided). Of course, the waistline was already there. It simply changed (into a new waistline). Only by adding the word “new” does your usage (“effect the new waistline”) make any sense. Even so, the meaning of that phrase would be to “cause (the new waistline) to happen,” which, frankly, sounds stupid and bureaucratic. One might claim that it’s a creative or even artistic usage, but… Given your smug and pedantic tone, I doubt that’s what you were going for. A more conventional usage might be to say something like “effects a change to the waistline.” Nevertheless, it’s still simpler in this case to say “affects the waistline,” as the person you so eagerly corrected rightly pointed out in the first place. Bottom line, yes, both affect and effect can be used as either a verb or a noun, but they aren’t interchangeable. Good try, though.

        • Dear pecking for technicalities: The old waistline may also have been effected by sugar consumption. Given the amount of sugar that is added to baby food, the sugar present in the ordinary pre-natal diet, and the increasing occurrence of toddler obesity, it is possible for every waistline a human ever has to be effected by sugar. Both effect and affect work in this usage. While I think effect is more apt, I actually was going for creative, I will admit that affect was likely the intended word. Nevertheless, either can work and we have no reason to be certain which was intended. Mr. Williamson had to play the pedant and declare, with no allowance for uncertainty or demonstration that he was even aware of other definitions, that affects was the proper word. The irony was that he presented himself as improving language usage when he was really reinforcing his limited knowledge of the flexibility of the English language. Jumping on people for their usage of affect and effect are favorite tools of grammar nazis (or the alt-write) so I like to nettle them with uncommon but legitimate definitions of the words. Does this make me just as petty? Perhaps, but I am at least considering more creative uses rather than harping on knee-jerk corrections.

          • Dear clearly doesn’t know the difference: The initial correction given by Mr. Williamson was right given the most basic conventions of English language usage. The author’s original usage of effect was incorrect. I have no doubt that the author knows the difference and that it was a simple typo. Speculating about whether or not the author might have been going for a creative usage of effect is a pointless endeavor. You are welcome to cling to that unlikely scenario if you like. When you claimed that Mr. Williamson was “reinforcing his limited knowledge of the flexibility of the English language,” aren’t you making an assumption of your own there? Where is your “allowance for uncertainty?” You wrote, “it is possible for every waistline a human ever has to be effected by sugar.” Your usage of effect there might be grammatically allowable, but in practice it is meaningless and just plain wrong. Waistlines are affected by sugar. End of story. Sugar doesn’t effect waistlines because that would mean that sugar brings about waistlines. If you insist on saying it that way, then anyone who knows the difference will (rightly) assume that you don’t. You can plead creativity again (you’re welcome), but c’mon. You’re wrong.

          • You fu_kin idiots ain’t got nothing better to do but argue over who is the bigger fa_got!

  6. They can tweek the name all they want. The grams of sugar will still need to be listed and that is what you need to watch. You can say they are being deceitful but they are just taking advantage of decades of efforts to train people to think of natural as good. The fructose molecules in corn syrup are exactly the same as those found in an organic strawberry. Dextrose, sucrose, fructose, lactose, maltose, dextroglucose…sugar is the problem here. Cut as much as you can from your diet and you will be healthier.

  7. ..face it guys, will be seeing more of this coming. The masses are walking sheep, you need to inform yourself.

  8. I try to avoid any product that lists HFCS in it’s ingredients. But, some if these mfr’s are sneaky. If you shop at KROGER’S. check their store brand goods, especially the baked goods and salads like potato and cole slaw. Time to call them out..

  9. i’m confused. the vanilla chex doesn’t have the ingredient you say it has. It does say ‘natural flavor’ is that what you refer to in the article as ‘natural sweetener’?

  10. People should learn, as I have been forced to learn because I have type one diabetes (my pancreas no longer makes insulin and without insulin, the average life span for a type one is a year): count all the carbs in your food. Know about carbs. I’m not talking about a paleo diet. I am talking about limiting your carb intake. And, as my first diabetes nutritionist told me long ago: a huge source of carbs is cow’s milk and almost no one considers that! AFter years of rising discipline, I don’t eat anything but real food and nothing that has been sweetened by any sweetener. One can get used to such an eating approach. And guess what, you find out what food tastes like and then you get used to no sweeteners. I do use a tiny bit of organic stevia (the nonorganic is loaded with pesticides) to sweeten some teas and a teeny tiny scoop of stevia helps the tumeric go down!

  11. Save us from ignorant fools. Fructose is the sugar found in an Apple. High fructose means concentrated. It’s concentrated corn juice, people.

  12. That isn’t why people are fat. They are fat because they don’t MOVE. Iphones, computers, gadgets = a lot of people that sit and do nothing. When I was a kid we ate ANYTHING. Twinkies, Ding Dongs, chips…whatever. Everyone I knew was skinny and muscular. Of course, there was no such thing as a cell phone or computer. We had footballs. We ran, played, and sweated for hours.

    MOVING around is what has changed. When I was 18 I could have drank gallons of high fructose and wouldn’t have gained an ounce. Because I was always MOVING.

    • There is a lot of truth to that! However, in the 60’s the food manufacturers started adding GMO’s to our food system, as well as food dyes, food flavorings, food preservatives and other ingredients, so what is in foods now is different from what was in the food we had then. It’s being shown to cause way more problems than just obesity.

  13. I agree that the labeling has its issues, like the meaningless use of the word Natural. But a big misconception here is that HFCS is bad for you. Its only as bad for you as any other sugar. The problem isn’t having it in our food, its how much and how often we eat it. When they put HFCS in everything you eat in high doses, of course it will affect your health. To put it another way, if you drink a glass of soda or a glass of fruit juice that have the same amounts of sugar, they will affect you equally.

      • You are right – actually not true. The glycemic index of white table sugar is 63 – not great, but better than HFCS (75) or even white bread (73). So, it does affect your blood sugar differently, even with the same grams of sugar. Now that said, we are all better off avoiding HFCS and white table sugar – honey, maple syrup, raw sugar and liquid stevia extract all have better GI’s and are natural sweeteners. It’s better to eat your fruit than to drink it, but soda has no nutritional value at all and is full of preservatives. I no longer drink soda.

  14. The reason HFCS is ubiquitous and cheap is because it is the toxic byproduct of alcohol production. Getting rid of it is a real problem, and so telling people it is a food spreads out the disposal over a wide area, reducing the toxicity to the immediate environment. As such, humans have been turned into waste disposal recipients.

  15. SUGAR, CARBOHYDRATES (also sugar) and salt are the worst for setting up inflamation in the body. Fats have gotten a bad rap, but they don’t set up inflamation in the body like the previous do. A smidge of salt, especially when you’re sweating, working out, etc. is fine because the body does need a tad of salt, but skip the others as much as possible. HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP IS A KILLER. COMPANIES USE IT BECAUSE IT’S CHEAP. YEAH, A CHEAP KILLER!!!

  16. Labeling can be deceiving. On Sugar Free Jello boxes, it is required that it says “this product has been genetically engineered” in Europe. There is no such requirement in the US

  17. I’m very concerned about the number of commenters who are dissing the FDA, falsely, ignorantly. The FDA is one of the good guys. To say otherwise is to buy into the current ‘war on expertise’, the desire to tear down all of our institutions that protect us from the unscrupulous. For example, one of my heros was a long time FDA employee:

    http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/woman-who-stood-between-america-and-epidemic-birth-defects-180963165/

    • Good guys? If they were so good, they wouldn’t allow packaging of total garbage like Pop Tarts to scream out BS on the boxes like “7 Vitamins and Minerals,” and “Real Fruit,” and “0 g trans fat,” and “good source of calcium,” and “cholesterol free,” and other nonsense.

      Garbage is garbage and Pop Tarts are garbage. Sell them and eat them all you want, but no health claims should be allowed on garbage. And it’s the same with garbage boxes of cereal, which the AHA allows their “healthy heart” label.

      The FDA SUCKS. And the AHA SUCKS.

      • Except most of those claims *aren’t* actually health claims; they’re marketing statements that don’t actually say anything about whether these things are good or bad. Are there 7 vitamins and minerals in Pop Tarts? Yes, there are. There *is* real fruit in some of them, there are no trans fats, they are cholesterol free.

        Is the company hoping that consumers are ill-informed or won’t look further than the pretty colors on the front of the box? Yes, they are. But the FDA has no legal authority to make them write “Real Fruit – but it’s in really tiny amounts and is completely negated by the added sugar” or “cholesterol free, but that’s the least of your worries”.

  18. Add “glucose syrup” to that list. Corn allergies/sensitivities are increasing exponentially since the use of GMO corn and HFCS. I became highly sensitive to corn products at the at nearly 50 years old. I can’t go to a movie theater, into a Target store, and God forbid someone is making kettle corn. The CDC is fully aware of the increasing problems with corn tolerance but they are powerless unless it involves something that will make Big Pharma a butt load of money.

  19. and this is why i don’t donate to cancer research. Between the dirty water in our homes (Flint) and the lies about our food, they already know why people are getting cancer. What is there to research?

  20. “But this is not the innocuous fructose that has sweetened the fruits humans have eaten since time began. ”

    No, actually, it’s exactly that. Other nutrients aside (and the article could perhaps talk about those, but it doesn’t), the fructose in HFCS is, in fact, chemically identical to the fructose in fruit. I don’t understand why there’s a market for this kind of scientifically illiterate clickbait.

  21. what a load of crap , typical idiotic “journalism” no references, all shit made up to get some clicks .. pathetic

  22. So I Guess “Flour’s Next!” All the “White Stuff’ll” kill You! OR choose to Not Eat it!!! The More You Eat the More You Want! Addictive they Are!

  23. As a corn allergy suffer, this comes as no surprise. Just another name to add to the list, and a new cross section of brands I can not safely eat.

  24. The thing is, the amount of people who still dont want to believe that high fructose corn syrup is bad and gmos are real is high. Every day i work all i hear is, were all gonna die some day, organic is too expensive, why do they charge so much for organic. Why does happy farm raised meat have to be so expensive. BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE TO SPEND SO MUCH TIME, ENERGY AND MONEY TAKING CARE OF THE ANIMALS IN A HAPPY INVIRONMENT BEFORE THEY KILL THEM FOR MEAT. DUH.

  25. There is no “natural sweetener” in the bananas, berries, apples, oranges, etc. that we consume. There are frozen water bottles in my freezer and 1 Amy’s Pesto pizza. (Oh, and the Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey) That’s it.

  26. Just buy things that don’t have any sweetener, corn syrup, HFCS, etc. Vote with your wallet and things will change.

  27. You’re just regurgitating the same bogus info I’ve seen people sharing on social media for years. Beyond the tin foil hats and fake outrage, a simple google search would show how old this BS is. Checking Vanilla Chex ingredients, “sugar” is #3. Oh wait…that’s fake, right?

  28. “impact on their health”? what the heck does that mean?…I know, English is your second language!

  29. But its not revealing the ingredients and thats against the labeling instructions by law ! G-d D-m it.

  30. America is profit driven at the expense of it’s people. They allow Monsanto to do it’s thing which is slowly killing people. I can avoid all of this BS, by taking a super jet ride to Europe and have my meals. NO GMO allowed; but with all of the immigrants; something will probably change soon.

  31. PAY OFF a Congressman enough.. and he’ll deliver you a crooked law to cover up the truth…..

  32. Why do people keep buying so much of this crap? It’s not difficult or expensive to eat real food. Are people no longer capable of cooking?

  33. The FDA is in the pocket of so many lobbyists, they’ll approve damn near anything for human consumption and not lose sleep over it.

  34. I’m fructose intolerant, confirmed by hydrogen breath tests at Mayo Clinic. So this is a big deal for a person like me and I just want to get to the bottom of the truth and skip the politics. I just need the facts for the obvious reason that fructose intolerance literally removes me from a days work, having to spend it with severe stomach pains on a toilet if I misread labels and don’t catch it. I’m alsossibgle parent of a toddler, to which I can’t afford to make a mistake and be in the bathroom all day and have him run loose on me. I’m not interested in the conspiracy theories and history etc…just want the truth, because fictions and lies will directly effect people’s lives who monitor and deal with this condition.

    I posted this article and someone responded with this…

    http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2012/05/30/154009682/fda-rules-corn-syrup-cant-change-its-name-to-corn-sugar

    But it’s from 2012 and I’m not seeing anything other than this article that is recent. I don’t want to discredit the writer of this if he sought out his own sources and investigated the issue, because I looked up all he’s written, and his articles are all well known topics except this one. I felt horrible for bashing a struggling journalist once who personally reached out to me and proved everything – very humbling/humiliated feeling. So in the case the author here wants to elaborate or chime in, I’d love it. Unless you’re a person who struggles with this from a condition, I don’t think you’ll ever care as much about this topic as those who do.

  35. Close useless FDA for good .. they are paid bribes by the mongrels who make fake food to kill us and keep us on the health system so surgeons, doctors, specialists and nurses have jobs, to keep everything turning to the governments drum and the money rolling in.

  36. If you live in a food desert, have no car, are poor I am sorry but if you go to work, you do not work in the middle of the Sahara so you must be in the vicinity of a grocery store somewhere. I can hardly walk without finding somewhere that sells food. Even McDonalds has a nice side salad for $1.59 including lettuce, tomatoes and a smalll package of dressing. You can also skip the fries and burgers and have an egg sandwhich at McD’s. You can skip the soda line up. You can order the egg sandwhich without cheese. You can put ketchup on for flavoring and skip the sausage and bacon because those both come from tortured factory farmed animals. Skip meat entirely and go veggie. You can also grow veggies on a vacant lot. Get your neighbors together and rent a tiller. Write to the farmers around your area and ask them to hold a Farmer’s Market in your neighborhood once a week or once a month. Clear a vacant lot for that. Make stalls out of tossed out pallets. If you think creatitvely and stop sitting around on your sizable duffs, you can attract plenty of good, healthy food. Refuse to eat stuff with added sugar or fried to death. You don’t have to have a very high IQ to get a job. There are plenty of people pushing mops in restaurants and making $8 an hour. There are dishwashers. You can find an old junker of a car and find someone with mechanical talent to fix it up, then take the entire village to work in it every day if you are that isolated. Think GROUP, not individual. A group can do more than one tired person.
    Stop having so many children. Sex is fine and birth control is good. A woman without children is a free woman. A single mom with two kids is never free.

  37. Just another set of labels I have to worry about!! My husband is deathly allergic to this crap!! only in America. do we put a spin on everything, because no one wants to buck and realize that regulation in many cases is not a bad thing.. but hey, I guess to make America great again.. culling the heard… UGh!!

  38. What’s in a name? The name isn’t the source of bad health. The product is. “Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss”. 🙁

  39. The solution is quite simple yet the majority of you will crab and complain about what is wrong instead of being part of the solution.

    Easiest solution is start your own garden, buy local, buy from farmers markets, buy whole cows and pigs that are free ranging and buy organic.

    Sure, this well cost you more up front. But you will have a question to ask….. do I consume my status quo that leads to adverse negative health concerns or do I pay more now and save a ton less in regards of grocery bills, hospital visits. medical premiums going down for improved health, and best of all, planning for new adventures because of the years added onto your life.

    Take home point is this…., stop the bitching (sorry Jehovah for I sinned) for the twisted ways the government is relabeling and taking action by buying local buying grain and grass fed cows and pigs, raise hens for organic fresh eggs….,,,

    • I have my own garden and have been doing it for years. I love it, but starting a garden isn’t easy. It takes significant upfront work (including learning how to do it) and costs. For anyone who hasn’t gardened before, I recommend starting out small, with a few pots (or a few plants in the ground), and join groups (online or not) that discuss gardening. Eventually, this work builds up into a full-blown garden if one keeps at it.

  40. Honey is about half glucose and half fructose. Table sugar (sucrose) is half glucose and half fructose when digested. Starch is simply glucose hooked together in polymers and becomes glucose when digested. Lactose is simply a cousin of glucose found in milk. Society’s problem is not with “high fructose corn syrup” itself or any other specific kind of sugar. It is that people eat far too much sugar of all kinds. Cut down on consumption of sugared soft drinks, cereal, rice, potatoes, ripe bananas, bread, pasta, and bakery sweets. Add more fiber and vegetables. And count calories. They do count if spite of what some nutrition “experts” claim. And lose some weight. The healthy human body knows what to with the occasional overload of sugar.

  41. If fructose is “fruit sugar”, why is it, or any other sugar, so bad? (unless overindulged, which is bad for just about anything, including water)

  42. I find the best way to deal with politics and things beyond my control is to gently close my eyes and quietly sing a few verses of “I’m a Little Teapot”.
    If it’s a product I don’t like, I simply don’t buy it.
    If it’s someone needing “a loan” or a handout, I consider it gift, with no expectation it will ever be returned.
    If it’s love, I give it when I can, but others do it much better than I.

  43. It is amazing how the United States is the most powerful Country on Earth and its constituents can be so easily manipulated by fake stories such as this.

  44. What about the “Fair Packaging and Labeling Act”? Sounds like a good law suite sense High fructose corn syrup is not a ‘Natural Sweetner”, “The packaging and labeling of food is subject to regulation in most regions/jurisdictions, both to prevent false advertising and to promote food safety.
    I thought the food labeling regulations are supposed to protect us from people like the FDA.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Packaging_and_Labeling_Act

  45. Fructose in such large quantities is very unhealthy: unlike glucose, which gets metabolised directly as energy via insulin, fructose, or fruit sugar, gets converted into triglycerides which then form the bad LDL cholesterol plaque in your arteries. Excessive fructose also can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
    This makes sense: in the natural world…. How much access to fructose was there? When it was available during its limited season. Also… just how many apples can one eat in one sitting?

    http://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/abundance-of-fructose-not-good-for-the-liver-heart

  46. Many people are barely literate. They can’t (or won’t) read food labels, they shop for lowest price, and cook only what they or their kids like to eat. If they “cook” at all. They don’t read newspapers or magazines. You would be hard pressed to convince these folks to completely change their dietary habits.

  47. We don’t need the FDA’s involvement at all. Consumers who don’t want to consume HFCS can simply refuse to purchase any products that aren’t labeled “No HFCS added”.

  48. All government regulatory agencies are eventually taken over by the industries which they are supposed to be protecting the public from. From the dawn of the Progressive era more than a century ago, entrenched commercial interests have clamored to be “regulated” in order to cripple startup competitors who could not afford to comply with the costs imposed on industry by regulations. What will keep us safe in the marketplace is unrestricted competition together with complete freedom of consumer choice and not easily co-opted armed bureaucrats.

  49. Monsanto was caught promoting the use of Round up with their GMO (herbicide resistant ) wheat. So farmers are dumping round up which causes a whole multitude of problems on peoples’ health on wheat products because the wheat is resistant to the herbicide. The real question is what farms are doing this and what food is on the selves that is affected by this. GMO’s are genetically modified organisms (whether it be corn, wheat, barley etc) they were modified to significantly increase the chances of their surviving the farming process. without any concern for the people who consume this food. Unfortunately the GMO’s make it so that the body no longer recognizes the organism as food and thus if processed by the body in a way that is detrimental to the body. GMO’s are often stored as fat by the body because it can’t break it down.

    • you are so misinformed about it , please if you are seriously interested do some reading on the subject
      there is no roundup resistant wheat, or barley and the rest you say about gmo turns into fat is just idiotic shows your ignorance

  50. Hello, you eat high fructose corn syrup you die. You don’t eat high fructose corn syrup you die.

  51. Yes and I have an allergy to corn. that means corn syrup and Fructose. I am an educated consumer and need to be but should it slip my mind I might need to sue them if I have an allergic reaction. They really are only giving themselves a large chance for not only a bad rap but lawsuits. Thinking that the FDA needs to be accountable as well.

  52. sugar is sugar, it’s all bad for you. Diabetes and obesity are on the rise because we eat too much of everything.

  53. They did the same thing to nutra sweet it is now called aspartame and still just as bad for you.

  54. This is actually good for me because I’m allergic to natural sweeteners (stevia, erythritol, etc.), so if I see “natural sweetener” on a box, I’ll steer clear even if the only sweetener is HFCS. Sugar only for me from now on.

  55. This article is not tethered to any kind of science. It’s not HFCS you should be scared of, it’s misinformation campaigns like this.

  56. So people with legitimate food allergies, like my own allergy to CORN (among other things), should just give up on anything fast or even in cereal period? Time to get even more anal about what is in my house….

  57. Look everyone……..at the end of the day regardless of the situation….if we don’t team up as Americans to fight this crap, nothing will change….we can sit and complain about it…….or do something which starts with your local community and creating some uproar…….
    “we the people” ??????

  58. I call bulllshit on this article. HFCS is nothing new, it’s been sitting on the store shelves with the Log Cabin, Mrs. Butterworth and , Horrors!, the 100% maple syrup.

    It’s called Karo Syrup, and my family has been using it as long as I remember, and seeing that I remember Ike’s election, that’s quite a while. Get off the food scare bandwagon and stop trolling us. Next thing you are going to try to tell me is that bacon is bad and I should not eat salmon…

  59. Why is everyone going after each other about their personal responsibilities, when this article is about how our government agency responsible for protecting us from harmful foods is selling us out to the corporate food industry? Other countries ban most of the harmful stuff we find on our store shelves. Greedy corporate america is running our country and ruining our health and prosperity. It’s them and the FDA that we should be targeting to be more responsible!

  60. They used to tell us fat was the culprit that created heart attacks, when it was sugar all along!

  61. One reason I like to grow as much of the food we eat at home ! I know the fruits and vegetables I grow will not be full of artificial crap or chemicals !
    yes it is a lot more work, but well worth the time and effort !!!
    The best part is seeing my grocery bill go down !!!!!!

  62. Moderation is key here. In the decades since fructose corn syrup was available, our way of life (sedentary) has changed a lot also.

  63. Poor people can afford all the food they need, because we/humans don’t need to eat very much on a daily basis to stay trim and healthy. We barely need any food per day. The problem is where poor people think they need more to eat, so spend most of their little bit of money on food that is cheap but unhealthy (fast foods, etc.). We humans simply do not need to eat much food each day!! Potatoes, bananas, many fruits and vegetables, whole steal-cut oatmeal, couscous, bagged quinoa, bagged beans and rice are all dirt cheap. One potato, a banana and a little beans and rice will fill anyone up and is plenty for a meal. Hell, one large baked potato with a little butter, cheese sprinkles, and chives is plenty for a meal. How much does that cost, like .75 cents? Humans don’t need much meat, if any, either. Too many people eat meat at almost every meal, when eating meat once or twice a week is plenty.There are TONS of natural, organic foods that contain a lot of protein. Google vegetarian protein foods. The trouble with Americans is they eat waaaay too much, in general. Ever hear of obesity related poor health issues – diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, knee and joint pain, foot problems, shortness of breath just for WALKING, etc. etc…poor people CAN afford the healthy foods they need if they eat only the amount they need, each day, which is hardly anything. So sick of hearing very over-weight financially challenged people say they can’t afford “healthy” food, when they spend all their money (too much money) on junk foods.

  64. Correlation does not equal causation. Post hoc does not mean propter hoc. High fructose corn syrup is no more sugary than cane sugar. Indeed, when you digest cane sugar (sucrose) it breaks down into glucose and fructose. Here’s what the Mayo Clinic, a more reliable source than yournewswire.com, has to say on the subject:
    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/high-fructose-corn-syrup/faq-20058201

  65. HFCS also known as Republican syrup. It’s not going anywhere. They’ll just keep renaming it. Natural Sweetener™ is still Republican syrup.

  66. I have to disagree with this statement: “Obviously the best way to avoid this mess is to buy from companies you really trust.” Instead I would say, obviously the best way to avoid this mess is to stop buying processed food!

  67. “…choices that will impact on their health”

    That phrase impacted quite painfully on my mental health.

    Couldn’t we just say “choices that will affect their health”?

    Sweetly yours,

  68. Eat food that says what it is: Chicken, beef, lettuce, carrots, etc. For instance, make a salad out of lettuce, tomatoes, etc. Grill a beef steak (flank is cheapest and you cant dice it for stew). Make various chicken dishes. Don’t buy “products”, buy actual food – if it comes in a box you’re probably better without. Basically, 90% of your shopping should be in the produce section and the meat section. Then grab some milk and/or juice and some seasonings. That’s it. Eat and enjoy. You’ll eat better and your grocery bill will plummet. And yes, I’m still working on this myself.

  69. This is an excellent article. Unfortunately the author, Baxter Dmitry, seemingly skipped the English class when the difference between “affect” and “effect” was taught. There is so much poor “journalism” these days.

  70. I’ve seen the”natural sweetener” ingredient,thanks for the info.
    I don’t believe HFCS is that evil but have eliminated it from my diet.

  71. I am allergic to corn and this is NOT right at all. They dont pay my medical bills when something they label doesnt say what is in it say “CORN”

    • I have a similar problem with wheat and wheat gluten. Some years ago, the FDA said products containing “Wheat Starch” could rename it “Food Starch”. When the FDA said they had to list the botanical source of “Food Starch”, the manufacturers simply renamed it again, this time calling it “Modified Food Starch”. The really scary part for me is that many medicines contain the same stuff as “Sodium Starch Glycerol”, a disintegrating agent. So the pills my doctor gave me to take for my stomach problems actually made them worse.
      You have to be really careful when you have any food sensitivities.

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