High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and high maltose corn syrup (HMCS) are both inexpensive corn-based sweeteners that are present in many processed foods and have been produced to replace traditional cane and beet sugars. With emerging health concerns and controversy surrounding the ingestion of HFCS, many companies are turning to utilizing newly marketed HMCS as an alternative.

Understanding Sugar
Cane sugar, also known as glucose, contains sucrose, lactose and fructose. HFCS and HMCS are both disaccharide chains containing sucrose; however, HFCS contains fructose while HMCS contains maltose. HMCS also contains fewer sweeteners per unit. The human body is able to metabolize the disaccharide chains, but with HFCS this task falls unnecessarily on the liver. All fructose must be broken down by the liver, so the higher the fructose content, the harder the liver must work. Fructose is a desirable ingredient because of its long shelf life, qualities as a preservative and cheap production.

http://www.ehow.com/about_5412157_high-high-fructose-corn-syrup.html
The internet is amazing just how much info one can get while using it. Cool.

 

Don't forget that almost all corn (products) syrup is GMO. This is one vegetable that I purchase organic.

 

I also avoid processed foods, but sometimes, its durned hard to get what you need without alot of work.
Arabian Knight,
the HMCS is "better" than HFCS??
We were recently on vacation in FL for two weeks, and I saw on a news channel that HFCS will actually cause fat cells to multiply.

 

I was reading something about HFCS being so processed that your body - especially the liver - has a really hard time dealing with it. It sounds as if the high maltose corn syrup is probably just as bad. Just to make sweetening things more difficult, I've been reading that the agave syrup which some folks claim is healthy has the same over-processed difficulties and is even worse for your body than HFCS.

For myself, I use honey and molasses for sweetening. Occasionally a bit of evaporated cane juice but I don't even use much of that.

If you want to make grocery shopping interesting, try to eliminate High Fructose Corn Syrup, any artificial sugar as well as sugar itself from anything you buy. Then decide that butter and all fats that are hard at room temperature shouldn't be in the food item either and see if there's anything left in your grocery cart.

 

I stay away from corn syrup and HFCS. I'd not heard of high maltose corn syrup. That's a new one.

 

I love sweet tea! For years, when we were out eating I opt for tea over soft drinks--in the back of my mind, I guess I thought it wouldn't have HFCS or artificial sweeteners....BUT I was 'awakened' by a sign (at the hosp. cafe) that hung over the tea dispenser...reading "our tea is made w/ HFCS".. I was not happy.. I guess I am going to go w/ water from now on...

 

If you ever stop at Burger King. They now offer Gold Peak ice tea. Which is sweeten by Sugar~!
I buy the Qt. bottles sometimes in stores.

 

Great! Something else I have to look for on labels. I'd never heard of high maltose. I've drastically cut down the HFCS, msg, transfats and preservatives in our diets, but they are in EVERYTHING you buy pre-made! Cooking from scratch is just so much healthier....

 

I work in the food industry and I know that maltose, maltodextrin and maltose syrup are all terms that have been in food ingredients for 10 years or more. I was using it for development work back in 2000. I have seen it in ice cream, breads, cookies, salad dressings and I don't know what all.

 

Great! Something else I have to look for on labels. I'd never heard of high maltose. I've drastically cut down the HFCS, msg, transfats and preservatives in our diets, but they are in EVERYTHING you buy pre-made! Cooking from scratch is just so much healthier....

I totally agree...Im learninig to either make or do without lots of stuff.
What about the corn syrup in a bottle you use for making pecan pie??

 

I totally agree...Im learninig to either make or do without lots of stuff.
What about the corn syrup in a bottle you use for making pecan pie??

I have a bottle of Karo Corn Syrup
It just says Corn Syrup, Salt, Vanilla, as the ingredients.
And this is Karo Original Light Corn Syrup.

 

read Good Calorie Bad Calorie by Gary Taubes or watch the film FATHEAD and you'll totally understand about all sugars

 

I love sweet tea! For years, when we were out eating I opt for tea over soft drinks--in the back of my mind, I guess I thought it wouldn't have HFCS or artificial sweeteners....BUT I was 'awakened' by a sign (at the hosp. cafe) that hung over the tea dispenser...reading "our tea is made w/ HFCS".. I was not happy.. I guess I am going to go w/ water from now on...

I used to love sweetened ice tea, too! I now drink ice tea plain and LOVE it
Took some getting used to, but now it's even more refreshing than the sweet stuff was.

 

I am fairly certain Karo Light syrup is about half HFCS. I think I'll take some to work this week and check.

As for "non-GMO", unless you are buying it in a continent that has never had GMO corn or corn that is growing in a controled environment with no outside contact you are probably getting GMO.

 

I totally agree...Im learninig to either make or do without lots of stuff.
What about the corn syrup in a bottle you use for making pecan pie??

There are many recipes out there for pecan pie that don't use corn syrup. I tried one awhile back made with sugar and maple syrup and it was awesome! There's a thread somewhere on HT with several really tasty looking non-corn syrup pies.

 

Corn syrup is a food syrup, which is made from the starch of maize (nearly always the intended meaning of "corn" in the United States and Canada) and composed mainly of glucose. Corn syrup is used in foods to soften texture, add volume, prevent crystallization of sugar, and enhance flavor. Corn syrup is distinct from high-fructose corn syrup, created when corn syrup undergoes enzymatic processing that produces a sweeter compound containing higher levels of fructose.[1]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_syrup

 

If you are concerned and careful about what you eat then you want to avoid all corn products that are not organic. Corn syrup never was good for you and now that the conventional corn is all genetically modified (thank Monsanto) it is even worse. HFCS is simply a poison and should not be consumed by anyone in any amount. Sugar is now coming from GM beets and that too should be avoided. If it does not say "cane" sugar I would avoid it.

 

I am fairly certain Karo Light syrup is about half HFCS. I think I'll take some to work this week and check.

Please let us know!

 

I bought a bottle of Karo syrup yesterday to make pecan pies with since I have a lot of pecans in the freezer and need to use them. It is corn syrup, salt and vanilla. The store brand was HFCS. I also bought some organic sugar by Florida Crystal that says cane sugar.

 

From the Karo syrup website.

What is corn syrup?


Corn syrup is a mildly sweet, concentrated solution of dextrose and other sugars derived from corn starch. It is naturally sweet. Corn syrup contains between 15% to 20% dextrose (glucose) and a mixture of various other types of sugar.

http://www.karosyrup.com/faq.html

Buying pure dextrose syrup is quite expensive. This does not surprise me in the least.

 

I've been a little more diligent about label reading lately due to the High Fructose controversy and got a real shock when I went to buy maple syrup for our pancakes. It ALL seems to be chocked full of the stuff except for I think it was Log Cabin, which makes one that is fructose free. It's a little more expensive, naturally, but not as expensive as real maple syrup is.

I just finally gave up and started using honey on my pancakes. Hate to hear that Agave is hard to digest. It's one 'sugar' that is recommended for Lyme patients due to it's low glycemic rating. Honey is another. All other sugars are supposed to be forbidden due to the new study that is showing that bacteria thrives in a physical environment where the diet contains high amount of sugars. Especially High Fructoses.

Remember the good old days folks, where you ate what you wanted and didn't worry about it? Of course my arteries were probably clamping shut with every mouthful, but man, those were the good old days!

 

Another product I've gotten disgusted with is BBQ sauce. Every single brand on the shelves lists HFCS as the first or second ingredient, with the exception of Bulls Eye. I've decided to try making my own this summer - we have plenty of tomatoes to experiment with.

I did find two interesting websites with a list of non-HFCS foods.

http://highfructosehigh.com/no-hfcs/

http://www.stophfcs.com/list.html

 

I am fairly certain Karo Light syrup is about half HFCS. I think I'll take some to work this week and check.

As for "non-GMO", unless you are buying it in a continent that has never had GMO corn or corn that is growing in a controled environment with no outside contact you are probably getting GMO.

Karo brand has no HFCS. I buy it instead of store brands even though it costs more. The store brands that I've checked the labels of have HFCS.

I realise it's probably GMO, but I use extremely little of it, and haven't found an organic version, which I probably wouldn't be able to afford if I did find it.

I use very little sweetener of any kind, any how. I do buy organic evaporated cane juice because I can get it cheap at Walmart with coupons.

 

Another product I've gotten disgusted with is BBQ sauce. Every single brand on the shelves lists HFCS as the first or second ingredient, with the exception of Bulls Eye.

I tried a bottle of organic BBQ sauce and it was horrible!!!!!!!!!!!! YUCK!!!!!!!!!!

I go ahead and get the Kraft, since I get it free to pennies on the dollar. An 18oz bottle lasts a couple months, so I figure that's not enough HFCS to really worry about it.

But since I use a lot of ketchup, I get organic or Hunt's. Hunts has no HFCS and I get it free or mighty cheap. But I periodically run onto a really good deal on organic ketchup (coupon+sale), so I get as much as possible of it whenever possible.

 

made the peach bbq sauce from the homecanning.com website. Added 6 oz of tomato paste, and it turned out awesome. I think ts going to be a bumper year for peaches, so I plan to make more. Also found another recipe in the big ball book I plan to try.

I bought some sangria flavored soda for a treat. a 1.5 ltr bottle is 1.79, and tasted yummy. made with cane sugar in Mexican dept.
Also started a few gallons of rootbeer, and plan to read up on some ginger beer for future swwet tooth cravings.