High-fructose corn syrup.
Although HFCS is not a GMO product per se, so much HFCS is made using GM corn, we think its inclusion into these pages is justified. HFCS is widely suspected of being one of the culprits behind the obesity explosion in the United States and elsewhere during the last twenty or so years. HFCS is extensively processed and does, in fact, fundamentally alter the raw product (corn starch) used to make HFCS. The process involves changing the corn starch to glucose, and then changing the glucose to fructose. These changes cannot be made unless three separate enzymes are added to the process at three seperate points. Then, there are two more steps involved. First is a liquid chromatography step that takes the mixture to 90 percent fructose. Finally, this is back-blended with the original mixture to yield a final concentration of about 55 percent fructose—what the industry calls high fructose corn syrup. Like ordinary corn syrup, the high fructose variety is made from corn starch using enzymes.

The production process of HFCS was developed by Japanese researchers in the 1970s. HFCS was rapidly introduced in many processed foods and soda drinks in the US over the period of about 1975–1985, and usage continues to increase as sugar use decreases at a nearly one to one level. By increasing fructose content of corn syrup (glucose), the syrup is more comparable to table sugar (sucrose). This makes it useful to manufacturers as a possible substitute for sugar in soft drinks and other processed foods. Unlike sucrose, HFCS consists of a mixture of glucose and fructose, which doesn't require an enzymatic step to break it down before absorption in the intestine. Through enzymatic processing, the fructose content of corn syrup can be increased to yield a product with similar properties to table sugar. Common commercial grades of high fructose corn syrup include fructose contents of 42%, 55%, or 90%. The 55% grade is most commonly used in soft drinks and equivalent to caster sugar.

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Production of HFCS.
First, cornstarch is treated with alpha-amylase to produce shorter chains of sugars called polysaccharides. Next, an enzyme called glucoamylase breaks the sugar chains down even further to yield the simple sugar glucose. The third enzyme, glucose-isomerase, converts glucose to a mixture of about 42% fructose and 50–52% glucose with some other sugars mixed in. While alpha-amylase and glucoamylase are added directly to the slurry, glucose-isomerase is packed into columns and the sugar mixture is then passed over it. This 42–43% fructose glucose mixture is then subjected to a liquid chromatography step where the fructose is enriched to approximately 90%. The 90% fructose is then back-blended with 42% fructose to achieve a 55% fructose final product. Numerous ion-exchange and evaporation steps are also part of the overall process.

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Products with high-fructose corn syrup.
The site The Accidental Hedonist has collected an extensive and frequently updated list of products containing HFCS. One might be surprised to see how much of our everyday food that is full of this ingredient. Some examples are listed below. To see the entire list, follow the link to the List of HFCS Products.

Pepsi
PowerAde
Snapple - Cranberry Raspberry Juice Drink
Sprite
Kellogg's Frosted Rice Krispies
Kellogg's Corn Flakes
Kellogg's Frosted Flakes
Kellogg's Special K Red Berries
Kellogg's All-Bran Extra Fiber
Kellogg's All-Bran Original
Kellogg's Rice Krispies
Kellogg's Special K
Heinz 57 Sauce
Heinz Ketchup
Nabisco Oreo Cookies
Yoplait Yogurts
Ben & Jerry's - Chubby Hubby (HFCS and Transfat!)
Ben & Jerry's - Cherry Garcia
Ben & Jerry's - Neapolitan Dynamite
Ben & Jerry's - Cherry Garcia Body & Soul
Ben & Jerry's - Cherry Garcia Low Fat Frozen Yogurt Pints
Ben & Jerry's - Cherry Garcia Original Ice Cream Singles
Kraft Salad Dressing - Thousand Island Fat Free
Kraft Barbecue Sauce

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HFCS in some fast food restaurant foods.
Fast food chains also use the cheap HFCS sweetener to enhance their fare. The site Fast Food Facts has taken it upon itself to try and keep track of these. Here are som examples to wheat your appetite. See the complete updated list by following this link HFCS in fast food.

Burger King
Buffalo Sauce
Chocolate Shake Syrup
Coca Cola Classic
Croissant (Croissan'wich)
Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
Honey Mustard Spread
Ketchup
Milk Shake
Sesame Seed Buns
Sprite
Steak Sauce
Strawberry Shake Syrup
Tartar Sauce

McDonald's
Baked Apple Pie
Barbeque Sauce
Big Mac Bun
Big Mac Sauce
Coca-Cola Classic
English Muffin
Hot Mustard Sauce
Ketchup
McFlurry with Oreo Cookies
Regular Bun
Sesame Seed Bun
Sprite
Strawberry Sundae
Sweet 'N Sour Sauce

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Further Reading on HFCS.
There has been extensive discussion on HFCS. Some are for the substance and some are against. There has also been several scientific medical papers and reports published on HFCS. Here are some links:

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
"Effect of drinking soda sweetened with aspartame or high-fructose corn syrup on food intake and body weight" (pdf file)

Journal of American Medicine Association
"Sugar-Sweetened Beverages, Weight Gain, and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in Young and Middle-Aged Women"

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
"Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity"



Sources for the HFCS section.
Slashfood
The Accidental Hedonist
Fast Food Facts
HFCS Facts
The Nutrition Reporter
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Wikihow

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