High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) offers advantages beyond its lower cost, including greater stability in acidic beverages and ease of direct transfer from delivery trucks to storage and mixing tanks, according to a 2008 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Why HFCS is More affordable Than Sugar
Tariffs on sugar imports have contributed to its higher price in the U.S. as the nation’s early years, with barriers in place almost from its founding, as noted by the Cato Institute. As the 1981 Farm Bill, the U.S. has implemented a system that increases duties on sugar once a specific import threshold is met. Additionally, domestic production controls limit sugar supplies, thereby maintaining higher prices.
Furthermore, HFCS benefits from billions of dollars in federal subsidies for corn farmers. These subsidies, which include loans, direct payments, insurance premium subsidies, and surplus crop purchases, reduce the costs for farmers and consequently lower the price of the corn they cultivate.
Safety of Sugar Replacements in Diet Sodas
While reducing added sugar intake has proven benefits,the use of artificial sweeteners as replacements presents its own complexities.
Coca-cola Zero Sugar, launched in 2017, incorporates both the artificial sweetener aspartame and the natural sweetener stevia. However, research has suggested a potential link between aspartame and cancer. In 2023, a World Health Organization committee classified aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”
This classification does not confirm that diet soda causes cancer, but the scientific committee indicated a possible association between aspartame and liver cancer, recommending further study. The U.S. Food and Drug Management (FDA) has contested the WHO panel’s findings, citing “notable shortcomings” in the research supporting the conclusion. FDA officials highlighted that aspartame is among the most extensively studied food additives and stated that “FDA scientists do not have safety concerns” when it is used within approved parameters.
Stevia, a sweetener derived from plants, is considered “a safe choice” by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy organization.