Sara Lee jumps on the sugar train, leaves the corn syrup wagon behind

First it was calories, then it was fat and sodium. The latest health concern: high-fructose corn syrup, and the trend is accelerating.

As the country struggles with obesity issues, ingredients in food have been under increasing scrutiny, bringing some confusion to the marketplace but also opportunities for companies as they try to differentiate themselves in a competitive grocery store.

Consumer concern has been getting a quick response from food companies, as many remove high-fructose corn syrup from well-known products, replacing it with cane or beet sugar. Downers Grove-based Sara Lee Corp. is the latest to jump on board, removing the sweetener from its two best-selling breads.

Among the litany of big-name products that already have undergone recipe overhauls: Hunt’s ketchup, Gatorade and everything in Starbucks’ pastry case.

High-fructose corn syrup, the widely used and historically inexpensive sweetener, has been getting a critical look from food scientists and many American families, thanks at least in part to books, movies and studies looking at why Americans continue to gain weight.

Read the full article at The Chicago Tribune