More shoppers avoiding corn sweetener

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- A growing number of U.S. shoppers are opting to buy foods containing pure sugar instead of corn syrup, statistics indicate.

The move away form high fructose corn syrup is so prevalent the Corn Refiners Association has organized a campaign on the Web site, www.sweetsurprise.com, to stand up for the syrup, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.

"We have been very concerned about the misunderstanding of our product in the marketplace and want to provide the facts so that consumers can make their choices based on science rather than urban myth," the association's president Audrae Erickson said.

Health professionals have said high fructose corn syrup with may be contributing to obesity across the country. Others say because natural sugar has the same amount of calories, neither sweetener is to blame.

"Our message is that people should cut down on both," Center for Science in the Public Interest Director Michael Jacobson said.