PepsiCo is due to release its Pepsi Cola and Mountain Dew brand soft drinks in a sugar sweetened formula, a throwback to the 1970′s. The retro brand, aptly named Pepsi Throwback, is due to be release in a few weeks, according to BevReview. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is the sweetener of choice in the US since the 1980′s, because it costs half the price of cane sugar.
Could this return to sugar be a trend?
PepsiCo’s marketers must definitely think so. And so does Snapple, which is rolling out a sugar sweetened iced tea to supplant the existing one.
HFCS has been getting a bad rap as of late, so bad that the Corn Refiners Association launched a national TV campaign to educate consumers and extol its virtues. More bad PR came last month when it was announced that traces of poisonous mercury have been found in HFCS.
What you need to know:
There are studies linking HFCS and obesity, and many consumers are fiercely opposed to purchasing products containing it. While there is no doubt that obesity rates have risen dramatically at the same time as HFCS use has, the causality is still being debated.
Calorie-wise, sugar and HFCS are the same. So if you are looking to reduce weight, or worried about your children putting on unnecessary pounds, drastically reducing soda-pop consumption is an excellent place to start.
On average, Americans drink 50 gallons of carbonated soft drinks each year!!
What to do at the supermarket:
A family of 4 spends over $500 a year on liquid candy. So if you want to do your health and your wallet a favor, how about switching to cheap and refreshing tap water? Leave those sweet calories for a real dessert / snack.
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