High Fructose Corn Syrup

Ingredients:

CONCORD GRAPE JUICE, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CORN SYRUP, FRUIT PECTIN, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM CITRATE.

Evidently there is a commercial on TV by the corn growers touting that HFCS is ok.... in moderation. Well what is HFCS and how is it made? This is from http://www.sweetsurprise.com/ (the HFCS website) How is high fructose corn syrup made? The corn wet milling industry makes high fructose corn syrup from corn starch using a series of unit processes that include steeping corn to soften the hard kernel; physical separation of the kernel into its separate components—starch, corn hull, protein and oil; breakdown of the starch to glucose; use of enzymes to invert glucose to fructose; removal of impurities; and blending of glucose and fructose to make HFCS-42 and HFCS-55. Wow - that's all I can say, WOW!
Gosh, it's really hard to have HFCS in moderation when it's in most processed foods. If you go down the grocery store isle you will be amazed to see what all HFCS is in - yogurt, cereal, soda, bread, salad dressing, ketchup and many more processed foods! I have been trying to cut HFCS out of our diets for a few weeks. Why have fake stuff that has been truly bastardized from it's original form instead of sugar? Granted I really need to watch my sugar intake, because I like to intake more sugar than exercise.... but that's for a different post - LOL!
But I reckon if HFCS is not in something, then Red 40 is lurking and waiting to pounce on our poor children and wind them up like a top! Read the labels - you will be surprised! We are trying to go for the "we will buy it if it has less than 5 ingredients in it" kind of route. It's hard and especially with children that want stuff on the go, but it's possible!
Here is a link to a good article from the Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fructose-corn-syrup/AN01588 It outlines the health concerns and issues with HFCS interesting stuff. And to close out and get off my soap box here is a clever YouTube video about the stuff: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjppyTWuZJ0&feature=related
Until next time....