Mommy Bloggers vs. High Fructose Corn Syrup: The Sticky Truth

I'm not one to press people on issues that I believe in and I don't really consider myself a controversial writer. And while I am opinionated, I don't throw it down your throat. However, when something someone does is just wrong and it affects my family and friends – that's when I feel I have to get involved.

Recently, I had a guest post on MommyBKnowsBest about the dangers of high fructose corn syrup and the awful things that it can do (and does) to our bodies. Last month at the Type-A-Mom blogger's conference the Corn Refiners Association launched their new name, "Corn Sugar"...along with some blogger gifts, er, bribes.

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Coca Cola: We Don't Need To Make A Cane Sugar Version Because You Already Have Mexican Coke

A few weeks back, we asked readers if they would buy a cane sugar version of Coca Cola and an overwhelming 89% of you said "yes." So Consumerist asked Coke if the company had any plans to introduce non-HFCS version -- a la Pepsi Throwback -- on a national scale. The answer -- no, because we already have Mexican Coke.

"We already provide a Coca-Cola with sugar in the U.S. - is Coca-Cola from Mexico and it's available year round," Greg Galvez, vice president and general manager of Importation and Commercialization, Coca-Cola North America, told Consumerist.

Galvez appears to contradict himself on the topic of cane sugar vs. High Fructose Corn Syrup.

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Mom Bloggers Paid to Promote High Fructose Corn Syrup: Why Wasn't I Invited?

The corn industry has solicited mothers to help support the idea that high fructose corn syrup is a healthy part of the American diet.

Earlier this month, the Corn Refiners Association, an industry trade group, invited some mom bloggers to listen in on a conference call about high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

The call, which was organized in conjunction with a web site called Mom Central, has stirred up some controversy in the mommy blogging world, with some of the participants writing about it in return for $50 gift cards.

Other bloggers turned down the invitation, citing ideological opposition to accepting money from the Corn Refiners Association in return for advertising all the wonderful aspects of consuming HFCS.

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PepsiCo, Walmart to give out Sierra Mist Natural

PepsiCo Inc. is giving away at least 10 million free cans of Sierra Mist Natural this weekend at Wal-Mart stores to introduce its new version of the lemon-lime soda, which now includes sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.

The company announced last month it was remaking the drink by also removing preservatives. It added "Natural" to the name to cater to shoppers' desire to avoid artificial ingredients and launched a major marketing campaign, spending what it normally spends in a year to market the billion-dollar brand in the last quarter.

On Saturday, the company will give out the millions of cans at 2,800 Walmart supercenters, spending at least $3 million on the giveaway alone.

PepsiCo also removed high fructose corn syrup from Gatorade this year.

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Pepsi, Mountain Dew Throwback return to shelves

Pepsi Throwback is back, and the all-sugar version of the cola could stick around for awhile because shoppers want it.

Consumer demand has brought back Pepsi Throwback and a similar remake of Mountain Dew to store shelves several times since they was introduced in 2009 as a limited-time item. PepsiCo Inc. gave the remakes packaging similar to ones used in the 1970s. That was a time when those drinks were sweetened with sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup.

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Heinz caught in debate over high fructose corn syrup vs. sugar

Management at the H.J. Heinz Co., the nation's leading ketchup manufacturer, has taken a pro-choice approach to the anything but sweet battle being waged over the use of cane or beet sugar in food products vs. high fructose corn syrup.

Heinz earlier this year introduced a version of its ketchup made with sugar, a product named Simply Heinz. Yet the Pittsburgh food company kept the controversial sweetener in its flagship ketchup, which has legions of fans and outsells the nation's other brands.

The strategy would seem designed to make everyone happy but, rather like being a middle-of-the-road candidate in a polarized election year, it hasn't appeased the populace.

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'High Fructose Corn Syrup' Could Become 'Corn Sugar'