In July, soft drink manufacturing company Coca-Cola announced it would introduce a new drink in the United States that would use cane sugar. This move came after the country’s health secretary criticised the use of high-fructose corn syrup, a liquid sweetener that is commonly found in many packaged drinks and foods.
High-fructose corn syrup is almost always listed in Coca-Cola’s ingredient lists in the US, save for its diet low-calorie versions. But in other countries, the company sometimes uses cane sugar instead.
Cane sugar in sodas
Mexican Coca-Cola, also known as Mexican Coke, is one of the many sodas from the Central American country that uses cane sugar as a sweetener. And it’s popular.
Rocio Ribera, a cashier at the Mexican grocery store Las Palmas Pittsburgh No 1 in the US state of Pennsylvania, said that the drink was one of the shop’s most bought items – and not only by customers of Mexican heritage. She herself preferred this version.
“Mexican Coke is richer in flavour,” she said.
Not much healthier
While some may find cane sugar flavouring to be “better”, its effect on your body is unfortunately about the same as other sugary sweeteners.
When it comes to your health, experts say cane sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are simply not that different.
The products are very similar on a molecular level, according to Paige Langhals-Totino, a doctor and medical nutrition specialist in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“Ultimately, both are a sweetener,” she said. “The way our body processes them is the same … one is not healthier than the other.”
Both cane sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, if consumed long term, are linked to the development of chronic illnesses like type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease and even heart disease.
Many American dietary guidelines recommend limiting added sugar to no more than 10 per cent of your total calorie intake. The American Heart Association is stricter, limiting added sugars – those that do not naturally occur in foods like fruit – to 6 per cent.
“Overall, the recommendation from a health standpoint is to avoid and reduce the amount of added sugars you take in – regardless of where it’s coming from,” Langhals-Totino said.
What is the difference between the production of high-fructose corn syrup and cane sugar?
High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is made from corn starch. Corn starch itself is a chain of glucose molecules joined together. Breaking these chains down into individual glucose molecules results in corn syrup, which is pure glucose. To make this corn syrup high-fructose, enzymes are added to convert the glucose into fructose.
Cane sugar is made from sugar cane. Juice is extracted and clarified. Then, evaporation is used to concentrate the juice into syrup. Finally, the sugar is crystallised, separated and dried.
