There's just a few days left to snag some Marketplace swag at a discount when you... Donate Today! 🎁

What’s in a name: Corn sugar vs. corn syrup

David Gura Sep 13, 2011
HTML EMBED:
COPY

What’s in a name: Corn sugar vs. corn syrup

David Gura Sep 13, 2011
HTML EMBED:
COPY

Steve Chiotakis: A district judge in California is going to hear arguments today in a case over the rebranding of “corn syrup,” now called “corn sugar.”

Marketplace’s David Gura reports.


David Gura: A few years ago, corn refiners — the companies that turn corn into corn syrup — had a problem.

Harry Balzer: Over 50 percent of Americans were expressing concern about high fructose corn syrup.

That’s Harry Balzer, an analyst with The NPD Group, a marketing research firm. Balzer told me many Americans started to worry about the healthiness of corn syrup, an ingredient that’s used in lots of processed foods. So, corn syrup got a makeover in an attempt to win back old buyers — it became “corn sugar.”

Balzer: It seems to me Americans become more concerned about issues because they’re told to be concerned about these issues, not because they know about them.

Corn syrup — excuse me, corn sugar — manufacturers spent millions on ads, and plain old sugar producers decided to sue. They say the new name is misleading, arguing corn sugar isn’t a real sugar. Today, a judge will decide if their case has legs.

Harry Balzer says eating habits have changed. Americans are worried about the relationship between sweeteners and obesity, and that’ll be a big obstacle to overcome, whether you work with sugarcane or corn.

I’m David Gura, for Marketplace.

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.