High fructose corn syrup is a nutritive liquid sweetener made from corn starch.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Found In
- Baked goods
- Condiments (e.g. ketchup)
- Jams
- Salad dressings
- Snack bars
- Soft drinks
Also Known As
- Fructose-Glucose Syrup
- Fructose Syrup and Isoglucose
- Glucose-Fructose Syrup
- HFCS
The Beverage Bottom Line
High fructose corn syrup is authorized for use in the U.S., Europe and Canada.
This ingredient may have authorizations in countries not included on this site.
International Assessments and Authorizations
U.S. Food And Drug Administration (FDA)
Affirmation by FDA this ingredient is generally recognized as safe as a direct human food ingredient. (GRAS FDA-Affirmed)
The FDA reaffirmed the safety of HFCS saying, “We are not aware of any evidence, including the studies mentioned above, that there is a difference in safety between foods containing HFCS 42 or HFCS 55 and foods containing similar amounts of other nutritive sweeteners with approximately equal glucose and fructose content, such as sucrose, honey, or other traditional sweeteners.”
European Commission
The European Commission provides guidance related to sugars intended for human consumption.
In 2022, EFSA considered a tolerable upper intake of dietary sugars, concluding “[t]he intake of added and free sugars should be as low as possible in the context of a nutritionally adequate diet.”
This page was last updated on 6/30/2025.