Fructose Availability

Has the use of high fructose corn syrup
in the food supply increased the amount
of fructose in the diet?

No. Many press reports note the dramatic increase of high fructose corn syrup in the food supply since its introduction in the 1970s. However, it is important to note that as high fructose corn syrup consumption increased, sugar consumption decreased. From the 1970s through 2000 as high fructose corn syrup consumption generally increased, sugar consumption generally decreased. U.S. Department of Agriculture data from 1970 to 1985 shows that the per capita consumption of high fructose corn syrup in the U.S. food supply was matched with an almost equal decline in the per capita consumption of sugar. Since 2003, sugar consumption has generally been on the rise while HFCS consumption has been on the decline. In fact, these statistics also show that per capita consumption of sugar has always exceeded the per capita consumption of high fructose corn syrup with sugar maintaining its position as the most widely consumed fructose-containing sweetener in the U.S. food supply. Annual per capita consumption of high fructose corn syrup for 2010 was 35.1 pounds. The 2010 sugar consumption estimate was more than 10 pounds greater at 47 pounds per person.

From 1970 through 2000, as high fructose corn syrup consumption increased in the United States, it replaced sugar in various foods and beverages, as the chart (below) illustrates. Yet because sugar and high fructose corn syrup share a common composition, the ratio of fructose-to-glucose in the diet has remained relatively unchanged over time. This confirms that the approximate overall sugars mixture in the foods and beverages we consume - principally glucose and fructose - is nearly the same today as it was 30 years ago, before high fructose corn syrup was introduced.

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. 2011. Table 51 -- Refined cane and beet sugar: estimated number of per capita calories consumed daily, by calendar year. Table 52 -- High fructose corn syrup: estimated number of per capita calories consumed daily, by calendar year. Table 53 -- Other sweeteners: estimated number of per capita calories consumed daily, by calendar year. Sugar and Sweeteners Yearbook.