Pulaski

On the contrary it's very easy to avoid HFCS if you buy your own raw ingredients and cook them yourself. If you buy cakes, pastries, pizza, and pre-process foods that have (whether they need them or not ) added sweeteners, then it becomes difficult to avoid HFCS.

RoadWarriorFromLP

I think that everyone knows that if you make your own food without corn syrup in it that it won't have corn syrup in it.

The point was that it can be difficult to avoid it if you buy packaged foods. Even savory items from supermarkets such as pasta sauce and chili may include it, because it is a cheap filler. That's where the alternative stores come in handy, as they cater to people who are trying to avoid the stuff.

Steerpike

Are you guys saying that HFCS is NOT listed as an ingredient on the label of packaged foods that include it? or are you simply saying that, it may have snuck in there and if you don't read the labels you could be in for a surprise?

I just discovered (rediscovered) 'Ginger Ale'/'Ginger Beer' at some local restaurant (an expensive, 'trendy' brand) - it was amazing - and went to my local high-end grocery store afterwards to see what was available (I'm in search of a new daytime beverage... ). I bought Ginger Beer/Ale products from 'GUS' (grown up soda), Fever Tree, Q-Tonic, Fentimans, Bundaberg, and Bruce Cost (yes, I went crazy, deciding to try them all). Not one has HFCS. Only one (Bundaberg) had preservative. I did notice that 'Canada Dry' Ginger Ale had HFCS, but all this info was on the label.

Anian

HFCS is added to a lot of processed foods. It has to be listed if it is an ingredient. Some companies are a bit smarter and will add enough regular sugar or regular corn syrup to bump it down the ingredients list so that it is less noticeable. It's more common in stuff from large companies than it is on the "boutique/craft" foods who can afford to charge a bit more because people are willing to pay for higher quality.

Pulaski

The latter, and also that you might, given a choice between the main brands of a particular product find that they all contain HFCS. ..... Niche manufacturers and some premium brands might use different ingredients, but at the "commodity food" level, HFCS gets into so many foods. .... Personally I think it is all a red herring that that avoiding HFCS in foods that just use other sugars instead is mostly missing the point: there is too much sugar adde to almost all processed foods.

scrubbedexpat091

The major chains in WA and California even for regular milk have hormone free milk and label is quite well saying it is hormone free, only the cheapest of milk brands seem to not have the hormone free label.

I've seen it even at Von's, Safeway, and Albertsons, I'd imagine hormone free milk shouldn't be hard to find.

I don't trust the organic label though in the US or Canada, too many reports of stores labeling non-organic as organic and even real organics containing just as much bad stuff on produce as their non-organic counterparts.

Until there is better regulation and enforcement, I see organic as a money grab more then anything else, how do you know the produce labelled organic really is?

Steerpike

I would agree to some extent, though I tend to view the presence of HFCS in the same manner I view MSG; it sure isn't going to kill me, but it's an indication of a crap product, mass-produced with a goal of minimizing cost as a key product goal.

This discussion reinforces what I have thought for a while; if you are reasonably educated (realize you are empowered to read labels, and do so), and reasonably funded (can afford to shop at decent stores and buy products that are not necessarily the cheapest on the shelves), you can eat quite well in this country. I'm assuming the OP should meet these criteria.

I'm also reminded of the tiresome 'bread' discussion that comes up on these forums. Yes, HFCS was in a lot of bread, a while back. But nowadays, you are hard-pressed to find any bread on the shelves that has it. I've only recently started eating bread again - making my own sandwiches every day - and I am overwhelmed by how much great bread is available at the local stores (especially in the bay area; Scottsdale not quite as good yet, but still there's good stuff available if you look). Even mainstream manufacturers like 'Oroweat' has eliminated HFCS (in 2008 )... Oroweat Removes High Fructose Corn Syrup

Pulaski

I agree with this.
And also with this.

There is, as with so many other things in the US, a gulf between what some people can afford and what is peddled to the masses.

RoadWarriorFromLP

A lot of processed foods that aren't sweet have added sweetener You can't just assume that a savory food won't have corn syrup; you have to read every label.

Pulaski

You are somewhat correct - but some things that you might think are "savory", are from a British/non-American perspective, actually sweet, often unpleasantly so. Two things that spring immediately to mind are regular mass-produced sandwich bread, and the tomato sauce commonly served with pasta in "Italian" restaurants, including with chicken parmigiano, which I used to like, until I came to America when I found that here it is usually as sweet as a dessert, from a non-US perspective.

AdobePinon

This one has always puzzled me. Most marinara / tomato / red sauces in the stores are full of sugar of one kind or another. If you want the 'no sugar added' versions, they'll cost you three arms or a couple of legs. But at Costco, the cheapest marinara sauce they sell has no added sugar. I just don't get it.

Steerpike

We don't go out of our way to buy organic fruit or vegetables, though we don't avoid them either. But for Chicken, eggs, and most meats we only buy organic - not for the taste, or for health reasons specifically (though they are potential bonuses) but for the health/welfare of the animal. I'm happy to pay a premium to have eggs from chickens that are 'cage free', and to have pork raised humanely.

sir_eccles

Because Costco is awesome!

scrubbedexpat091

If we could afford cage free eggs we would do the same, but at 6 something per dozen, not doable, we can buy 3 dozen normal eggs for that price.

Same with organic milk, 8 dollars vs 4 dollars for 4 liters.

I'd prefer to buy the more humane meat/egg/milk products, but those prices are not sustainable if we want to eat everyday.


I am just wary of the organic labels as companies have been caught labeling non-organics as organics so they can charge more, just not sure the government pays enough attention to ensure something labelled organic actually is organic.