My dad used to bemoan the fact that most national brands of ketchup, barbecue sauce, and similar ultraprocessed items listed high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as either the first or second ingredient. He knew that high-fructose corn syrup was associated with the explosive epidemics of obesity and diabetes, and he hated the idea that so many people were unaware that they were putting themselves at risk. He was on a never-ending personal mission to improve the quality of the food that he fed his family. He spent a lifetime encouraging family, friends, and casual acquaintances (otherwise known as his pre-friends) to eat less HFCS. And, although he was not usually the kind of person to ask for even small favors, he once asked if I would post an entry on the subject. I was happy to say yes.
Continue reading →