Jason's Deli "excuses" High Fructose Corn Syrup

Really, what is so bad about High Fructose Corn Syrup? Weeks ago, I was seeing these advertisements about Popsicles and the goodness — or at least not-bad-ness— of High Fructose Corn Syrup. Then Time/CNN came out with this report, in which experts say, essentially, the sweetner gets an undeserved bad rap. No, it’s not great for you, but it’s no worse than, say, table sugar. One even calls the evils of High Fructose Corn Syrup an "urban myth". So why, then, is Jason’s Deli giving the sweet ingredient the boot completely, thereby contributing to the bad rap the High Fructose Corn Syrup industry was spending lots of advertising dollars trying to defy.

Last night I saw this sign in the Mockingbird Lane Jason’s Deli window: “We’ve excused High Fructose Corn Syrup from the Table,” it read. Huh? Then, sure enough, this morning I heard it on the news. Say the eateries’ owners, this removal of High Fructose Corn Syrup is a huge undertaking, and part of an all-new healthier menu.

Here’s what I don’t get — my studies (rudimentary at best I admit) about the so-called dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup cite its relation to obesity. OK, so high calorie foods, whether “naturally” occurring or processed, in high doses, cause obesity. (Duh.) So could this mean the all-you-can eat salad bar (rich with calorie packed croutons, dressings and breads) and the FREE after-dinner ice creams go to, so as not to encourage overindulgence which contributes, more than anything else, to obesity?

Don’t get me wrong — I love Jason’s Deli, the free ice cream, and especially the salad bar. But this “Excuse High Fructose Corn Syrup” thing, I think, is a gimmick.

By the way, they haven't removed the evil syrup from drinks, but they are considering it. Cast your vote on the matter here on the Jason's Deli site. 

Comments

[Alex]

Do you not have google?

http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/ezraklein_archive?month=09&year=2008&base_name=the_problem_with_corn_syrup

http://www.learn-about-tea.com/high-fructose-corn-syrup.html

You can believe it or not believe it, but the Seinfeld-ian "what's the deal with..." is cheap, even for a blog.

[Christina Hughes-Babb]

Not sure I get your point with the link. I get your Seinfeld/What's the Deal w...point, I guess, though it's ill-mannered, even for you.

[Jeff Siegel]

The point with high fructose corn syrup is that it tastes sweeter than table sugar and it's usually not the only sweetener used. Look at ketchup, which will have high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup and maybe another sweetener.

[Quentin Mendoza]

This is nothing more than a cost-cutting measure disguised as a health initiative - rising corn prices (due to ethanol production) are driving up the price of corn syrup.

[David]

Corn prices are down over 40% from their highs a few months ago. It's still cheaper and easier to use HFC then sugar in most products. Cane & beet sugar have high government subsidies which make them to costly to use in most products. My guess almost every processed product at Jason's Deli has HFC in it.

So why are you worrying about Jason's Deli removing HFC when you can get a better sandwich at the Corner Market?

[Quentin Mendoza]

-David

Honestly that whole price of corn thing was totally PFA...but I'm impressed by your intelligent response.

What's your posisition on nitrites in processed meat?

[jnw32]

I don't know if high fructose corn syrup is any worse for you that cane sugar, but things made with cane sugar sure seem to taste better - for example the Dr. Pepper you can get made with cane sugar tastes better, I think.

[Marie]

High Fructose Corn Syrup is a cheaper alternative than pure cane sugar. Our tastes are so dulled by this chemically processed stuff that we have lost of taste for things natural. Just take a trip to France or Italy and you'll see the difference in "sweet", and you'll recognize High Fructose Corn Syrup for the banal stuff that it is....

Cola companies started replacing the sugars in their drinks in the 1980s with this "alternative" because it was much, much cheaper to use than cane sugars. Anyone who has tasted Coke in another country can tell you that good ol Coke in the USA is not nearly as good as those that use natural cane sugar.

Oh, and the marketing ploy to help convince us it hasn't caused health problems with diabetes and obesity? Take it from a marketeer..... it's pure hype and bunk. You need to read and decide for yourself if it's bad for you, but most reports point to it as being a not-so-healthy alternative to nature's best: cane sugar.

[Angie]

Quentin - as a long time employee of the Jason's Deli corporation - I can assure you that cost cutting is the last factor considered when the flavor and quality of our food is involved.

David - your guess would be dead wrong.

Jason's Deli's decision to eliminate trans fats came years ago and was followed by the notion to eliminate HFCS. Both of these tasks required many months of searching for new vendors, testing new products as well as countless hours of training and education for all employees. All of this - I assure you is no ploy. And if you knew the four amazing men who are the proud owners of this fantastic chain - you'd never make such an assumption.

By the way MARIE - from marketeer to marketeer - I think we can both agree that one should have the facts and know the product before discussing it....yes?

[Paul in Chicago]

Oh, I think is marvelous and smart on Jason's Deli's part. I've been researching this the past few days, and in my unscientific surveying, it seems like I come across 2 blogs from chemists, nutritionists, or doctors claiming HCFS is fine for every blog that disagrees.

One of the more interesting finds is from diabetic forums where people monitor their blood sugar levels. I've seen two posts so far from diabetics who say their blood sugar readings go up when they have something with HCFS compared to something with cane sugar. One of them did an experiment with cola, I believe, and his blood sugar was twice as high when he drank the cola with HCFS than when he had the cola with cane sugar.