12 common foods containing high fructose corn syrup (2024)

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a common sweetener. Diets high in HFCS have been linked to health problems such as fatty liver disease, high triglycerides, insulin resistance, high blood sugar and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

Consuming fewer foods and drinks containing HFCS, on the other hand, may reduce liver fat and triglyceride levels (1,2).

Additionally, many foods and drinks containing HFCS are also packed with calories, highly refined oils, preservatives, and artificial colors and flavors. Any of these can contribute to weight gain, increased inflammation, and many other health problems (3,4,5,6,7,8,9).

If you want to reduce HFCS, take stock of which common foods and drinks contain this controversial sweetener.

This article lists 12 foods and drinks that commonly contain HFCS.

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1. Like this

If you have a sweet tooth like mine, you'll crave ita bit like thatas a boost.

But your favorite candy may be packed with HFCS, plus some other ingredients you may want to avoid for optimal health.

For example, many popular candies such as Hershey's Cookies 'N' Creme Bars, Reese's Take 5, and Baby Ruth bars all contain HFCS (10,11,12).

Even if you purchase HFCS-free candy, keep in mind that virtually all candy contains high levelsadded sugar, regardless of the source.

Reducing your intake of total added sugars is a great way to support your health and help protect you from health problems such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes (13,14,15).

2. Wrapped sweets

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Both adults and children enjoy packaged sweets such as cupcakes, cakes and cookies. However, it may be best to eat them sparingly.

Regularly eating packaged sweets can lead to health problems, e.gunintentional weight gainand increasing risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as LDL (bad) cholesterol and insulin (16,17,18).

This is because packaged sweets usually have a high contentcalories, fat and added sugar. In addition, many packaged desserts are sweetened with HFCS.

For example, Oreos and Chocolate Hostess cupcakes are made with HFCS (19,20).

3. Soda

Soft drink intake is strongly linked to a number of health problems, including an increased risk of (21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28):

• type 2 diabetes
• heart disease
• obesity
• autoimmune diseases
• non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Studies suggest that excessive consumption of HFCS-sweetened soft drinks can lead to intestinal blockageadvanced glycation end products (AGEs).

These harmful substances travel from the intestines to other tissues, causing inflammation and possibly worsening joint inflammation in people with rheumatoid arthritis (26).

More, AGE's insweetened soft drinkshas been linked to lung disease and heart disease (29,30,31).

Popular soft drinks, including Coca-Cola, Mountain Dew, and A&W Root Beer, are all sweetened with HFCS (32,33,34).

4. Juice drinks

While some juices are made with 100% fruit juice and contain no added sweeteners, many juices arejuice drinksis flavored with sugary additives, including HFCS.

Hawaiian Punch, Minute Maid Lemonade, and Minute Maid Fruit Punch are just a few examples that contain HFCS (35,36,37).

Children and teens often choose these sweetened fruit juices due to targeting by advertiserscontroversial practicebecause children are more vulnerable to the consequences of a high-sugar diet (38,39,40).

5. Fast food

Rapid food intakeis associated with a number of health problems, including obesity and increased risk factors for heart disease in children and adults (41,42,43,44).

This isn't surprising: These highly processed foods are packed with calories, sodium, refined carbohydrates and added sugars.

Some fast food menu items may contain HFCS.

In fact, many desserts served in fast food restaurants are sweetened with HFCS. Sweet dips served with fast food favorites such asChicken nuggetsmay also contain HFCS.

For example, McDonald's Apple Pie a la Mode and the company's Sweet-n-Sour Dipping Sauce contain HFCS (45,46).

6. Sauces and other condiments

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When you make a tasty dish, the last thing you worry about is the added sugar.

Unfortunately many of your favoritesdishcontains a lot of added sugars, sometimes in the form of HFCS.

Condiments like Dai Day Duck Sauce and Sweet Baby Ray's Original BBQ Sauce are made with HFCS (47,48).

Additionally, your favorite salty dips may also contain HFCS. The classic HeinzKetchupis just an example (49).

7. Ice cream and popsicles

Ice cream and popsicles are common sources of HFCS and other added sweeteners.

The second ingredient after water in Original Double Pop Popsicle and Popsicles SpiderMan Frozen Bars is HFCS (50,51).

Keep in mind that food labels list the ingredients used in the greatest amounts first, meaning HFCS is the second most common ingredient in these products (52).

A lot ofisare also sweetened with HFCS, including many of Target's Favorite Day brand flavors, including Caramel Brownie Moose Tracks, Cookie Dough and Vanilla Bean (53,54,55).

8. Breakfast products

It may not surprise you that regular breakfast sweets are tastyPop tartsindeholder HFCS (56).

However, you cannot expect salty breakfast cereals to contain HFCS.

Selv solide morgenmadsretter som Jimmy Dean Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Frozen Croissants, Dillon's Breakfast Bacon Egg & Cheese Mini Bagels en Smart Ones Canadian Style Turkey Bacon Engelse Muffinsandwich indeholder HFCS (57,58,59).

9. Fruit preserves and jams

Fruit preserves andjamcan be sneaky sources of added sugar, including HFCS.

Smucker's fruit preserves, including red raspberry, strawberry, peach and cherry preserves, are sweetened with HFCS (60,61,62,63).

The company's jams and jellies also contain HFCS. Additionally, the Goober Grape and Goober Strawberry products are blendedpeanut butterand jelly pastes marketed for children – contain HFCS (64,65).

10. Bread and cookies

Refined carbohydrate products, such as bread and crackers, are often made with HFCS.

Ritz Crackers, Club Crackers and Wonderbread are just a few examples of popular bread and cracker products that contain HFCS (66,67,68).

Moreover, a diet with a high contentrefined carbohydratesas well as the points above may increase your risk for certain health problems, including high blood pressure and heart disease (69).

Fortunately, refined grains have made the switchstarchy vegetablesand whole grains can help reduce these health risks.

11. Pancake syrup and dessert syrup

Pancake syrups and dessert syrups are super sweet, and some or all of that sweetness may come from HFCS.

One of the most popular brands of pancake syrup Pearl Milling – formerly Aunt Jemima – uses HFCS in its Original Pancake Syrup (70).

Please note that pancake syrup is not the same as 100% puremaple syrup, which is free of ingredients such as HFCS.

Dessert syrups, including Hershey's Chocolate Syrup and Smucker's Caramel Sundae Syrup, are also made with HFCS (71,72).

12. Applesauce

When you buyApple sauce, the last ingredient you would expect to see on the label is HFCS.

Yet a lot of applesauce is sweetened with HFCS.

Mott's applesauce in particular is made with HFCS. To avoid HFCS and other added sweeteners, look for applesauce without added sugar (73).

In short

Reduce your consumption of all sources of added sugars, includingHFCS– is a smart way to improve your overall health.

Certain foods and drinks, including soda, candy, ice cream,breakfast, snacks and packaged desserts commonly contain added sweeteners such as HFCS.

If you are unsure whether a product contains HFCS, read the ingredients label. Also beware of other sources of added sugars, such as cane sugar, corn syrup and agave.