High Fructose Corn Syrup

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.”

The European Commission provides standards related to certain 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.”

Codex Alimentarius considers high fructose corn syrup as a food.

A 2013 WHO-commissioned Cochrane review concluded, “The change in body fatness that occurs with modifying intakes (of free sugars) seems to be mediated via changes in energy intakes.” This review informed the WHO 2015 guidelines.

Use as a conventional food ingredient.