High Fructose Corn Syrup to Be Rebranded as "Corn Sugar"

Producers of the vilified high fructose corn syrup are looking to scrub their tainted image with a fancy new name: corn sugar. The Corn Refiners Association has applied to the Food and Drug Administration for approval of the new name, which they believe will link the ingredient to cane and beet sugars, which are better received by consumers.

What may seem like a silly marketing ploy has worked in the past; sales of the unfortunately named "low eurcic acid rapeseed oil" went up after it became canola oil, and marketers had luck with changing dried plums to prunes. However, the issue here isn't just nomenclature. Many customers actually believe that high fructose corn syrup is nutritionally worse for you than other types of sugars, when in fact they have a similar effect on the body. The commercials below take a stab at defeating that myth with the slogan "Sugar is sugar," cute children, and corn mazes.

Video: Question Mark

Video: Maze

· Corn Syrup Producers Want Sweeter Name: Corn Sugar [AP]
· Corn Sugar: Facts About Sugar From Corn [Official site]
· All High Fructose Corn Syrup coverage on Eater [-E-]