What is HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup)? | Learn About Sugar

High fructose corn syrup is simply a kind of corn sugar that is handled by your body like sugar or honey.

Sugar is sugar whether it comes from corn, cane, beets, or bees. All are safe and natural. Your body can’t tell the difference between them.

High fructose corn syrup is composed of either 42 percent or 55 percent fructose, with the remaining sugars being primarily glucose and higher sugars. In terms of composition, high fructose corn syrup is nearly identical to table sugar (sucrose), which is composed of 50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose. Glucose is one of the simplest forms of sugar that serves as a building block for most carbohydrates. Fructose is a simple sugar commonly found in fruits and honey.

For the most part, you'll find high fructose corn syrup, a sugar from corn, in the same kinds of products in which you would find sugar or other sweeteners. Many healthy foods are made with caloric sweeteners, which often play a key role in the integrity of these products that has little to do with sweetening. At the same time, corn sugars offer some unique functional benefits that help companies offer more choices in food products.(1) High fructose corn syrup enhances fruit and spice flavors in foods such as yogurt and spaghetti sauces, gives chewy breakfast bars their soft texture and also protects freshness. High fructose corn syrup keeps products fresh by maintaining consistent moisture. (2)