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Moderation of Added Sugars in the Diet - Miscellaneous
Why HFCS is used in common foods
The table below explains why high fructose corn syrup is used in many miscellaneous
foods and provides the number of servings required to reach the Institute of Medicine1
added sugars threshold (≤ 25% of calories2) for a variety of foods.
| Food | Number of servings3 | Why it contains high fructose corn syrup |
| Sweet pickles | 23 pickles | Reduces tartness; ensures product uniformity |
| Spaghetti sauce (without meat) | 20 servings | Reduces tartness of cooked tomatoes; adjusts for seasonal differences in tomato acidity |
| Catsup | 18 servings | Improves flavor by reducing tartness; keeps ingredients evenly dispersed |
| Italian salad dressing | 50 servings | Keeps ingredients evenly dispersed; reduces acidity |
| Multi-grain/whole-grain bread | 39 slices | Energy source for yeast-raised bread; promotes crust browning |
| Canned tomatoes (pureed) | 20 cans | Reduces tartness of cooked tomatoes; adjusts for seasonal differences in tomato acidity |
| Bran cereal | 87 bowls | Retains moisture in a very dry product; improves acceptability of a healthful but unpalatable food |
| Granola bar (w/chocolate chips) | 11 bars | Retains moisture in a very dry product; improves acceptability of a healthful but unpalatable food; imparts a pleasing chewy texture |
1 Trumbo P, Schlicker S, Yates AA, Poos M. Institute of Medicine. Dietary reference intakes for energy, carbohydrate, fiber, fat, fatty acids, cholesterol, protein and amino acids. J Am Diet Assoc 2002; 102: 1621-1630
2 Equals 500 kcal/day for 2000 kcal/day diet
3 Number of servings = 500 kcal ÷ (Sugars content x Reference amount x 4 kcal/g)