Sweeting Corn Syrup's Public Image

Submitted by Diane Farsetta on

The Corn Refiners Association launched an 18-month, $20 to $30 million public relations and advertising campaign "to convince consumers that HFCS [high-fructose corn syrup] isn't the evil it has been made out to be." The industry group is running ads in major newspapers -- under the banner "time for a little food for thought" -- that say HFCS has the "same natural sweeteners as table sugar and honey." The campaign, which was created by the Omnicom Group firm DDB, also includes television and online ads and "phone and in-person conversations with influential mommy bloggers." The Corn Refiners Association "has been trying to counter the bad publicity around HFCS since 2004," but concluded it "could no longer afford to rely on simple grass-roots marketing tactics such as talking with nutritionists and doctors." Major food and beverage producers, such as Kraft, are now promoting products as HFCS-free. The American Medical Association recently concluded that HFCS "doesn't appear to contribute more to obesity than other caloric sweeteners," but called for "further independent research."

Main Source: 
Wall Street Journal (sub req'd), June 23, 2008
Topics: 
Advertising
Internet
Obesity
Word-Of-Mouth Marketing
Children
Health
Public Relations
Women

Comments

MFox1948 replied on

I like tens of thousands of people are allergic to High Fructose Corn Syrup, which now has invaded most of our foods. That means for us: nausea, loose bowels, severe stomach cramps, and other pleasant side affects.

I just returned from two weeks in France and after the third day there experienced total lack of symptoms because in that country they do not use this pathetic ingredient in their foods.

This lasted until the second day after I returned back to the US. You may say, “Just avoid that ingredient in the foods you eat”! Look on your grocery shelves and see how difficult that is!

This promotion is to solely benefit the Cargill’s, ADM's and other corporate food giants to fatten their purses. In contrast to the statements made, HFCS does cause obesity as it is not process in the same way that natural sugars are. Remember these are the same people that promote Ethanol another corporate boondoggle.