"As we looked at unsolicited responses from our consumer hotline, and pairing that up with focus group research and talking to Sara Lee moms, removal of high-fructose corn syrup was something they saw
as a positive for them," says Jeff Dryfhout, director or Sara Lee North American Fresh Bakery.
Other big-name products that have already removed the sweetener in response to charges
that the widely used and inexpensive ingredient has contributed to the obesity epidemic include Capri Sun juice drinks, Wheat Thins, Hunt's ketchup, Gatorade and Starbucks' pastry-case goodies. But
many medical and nutritional professionals respond that all sweeteners are metabolized the same way and believe that corn syrup is being unduly villainized.
"A sugar is a sugar, whether it's corn sugar or cane sugar," says Audrae Erickson, president of the Corn Refiners Association.
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