The Corn Refiners Association, makers of those humorous but scientifically unfounded “Sweet Surprise” commercials are changing their approach.  In their first barrage of commercials meant to confuse the public about the many harmful effects of their product, High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), they ran ads featuring two attractive 30-somethings engaging in a conversation that went something like this:

Actor 1: You want a soda?

Actor 2: Are you kidding?  That has High Fructose Corn Syrup in it.  You know what they say about that stuff right?

Actor 1: No what?

Actor 2: Er, uh. [shrugs]

The gist of those first commercials was that if you didn’t know about the dangers that extensive scientific research has uncovered about the effects of HFCS on the human body then it must not exist.  That’s a heck of an argument to make about the safety of your product isn’t?  “Oh, you didn’t know that Duke University research indicates HFCS leads to liver ailments similar to those suffered by long term alcoholics and that a Princeton study has found that subjects that consume HFCS show considerably more weight gain than those who consume an equal amount of table sugar?  Well, then it must not be true since you didn’t know about it.”

Since putting the big bucks into those ads meant to confuse the facts, the Corn Refiners Association has seen some disturbing results – for them anyway.  The public wasn’t fooled and food manufacturers are responding to the cry for foods without HFCS.  Hunt’s Ketchup is now the only major ketchup brand to not contain HFCS.  The Jones Soda Co., makers of premium carbonated soft drinks, does not use HFCS in any of their products.  Jones even has a list of links to the multitude of scientific research that debunks the claims of the HFCS manufactures that their product is safe and natural.

Then the big bomb was dropped this past summer.  Dr. Pepper, one of the most popular soft drinks in the US, announced in a July press release that to celebrate their 125th anniversary that they were replacing HFCS with sugar.  Other factors have lead to soft drink makers to move away from HFCS and back to sugar like proposed changes to SNAP program regulations that would prohibit food stamps from being used to purchase soft drinks.  This is long overdue.

With the failure of their Sweet Surprise campaign they have shifted gears but are still employing the same tactic of subversive disinformation.  Their first move, as reported by AP, is that they are changing the name of High Fructose Corn Syrup to Corn Sugar.  This clever ploy will allow products to claim they have no HFCS when in fact they do.

They have asked for an official name change from the FDA.   They even went and started a new web site www.cornsugar.com.  Too bad because the FDA already has an established definition for corn sugar and it is not the same as HFCS.  No doubt, having an inside man in the FDA (Obama-appointed, Monsanto-lobbyist Michael Taylor) will undoubtedly lead to a redefining of the phrase “corn sugar.”

The new commercials feature actors pretending to be concerned parents who are confused about the effects of HFCS.  They plug the disinformation web site and even pretend that the scientific information listed there is from independent sources rather studies paid for by the the Corn Refiners Association to produce favorable findings.

I would like to post one of those commercials here for you but for some reason the Corn Refiners Association doesn’t want these commercials being embedded on other sites.  That seems odd that you want your message getting out there and here someone is willing to put your commercial on their site for free and you refuse to let them.  Kind of leaves you wondering what they are hiding doesn’t?

If you want to view the new spot you can venture over to the youtube and check the HFCS Disinformation Ad out yourself and do what I did – vote it a thumbs down and then flag it for being a scam. Or don’t, suit yourself.