High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) Side Effects

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is a sweetener with 4 high-severity side effects. Found in 85 products in our database. FDA GRAS.

6
Known Side Effects
85
Products Contain It
4
High Severity
5
Safer Alternatives

What Is High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)?

High fructose corn syrup is a liquid sweetener made from corn starch. It has been strongly linked to the obesity epidemic, fatty liver disease, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disease.

Also known as:
HFCSCorn sugarGlucose-fructose syrupIsoglucose

Known Side Effects

High Risk Obesity and weight gain
High Risk Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
High Risk Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes risk
High Risk Increased triglycerides and heart disease risk
Moderate Gout and elevated uric acid
Moderate Mercury contamination concerns

Regulatory Status

🇺🇸 FDA Status

FDA GRAS. Widely used in US food supply — found in sodas, breads, condiments, and processed foods.

🇪🇺 EU Status

Legal but less commonly used in EU (called isoglucose). EU had production quotas until 2017.

Scientific References

  1. Stanhope et al. (2009) — Journal of Clinical Investigation on HFCS and visceral fat
  2. Bray et al. (2004) — American Journal of Clinical Nutrition linking HFCS to obesity epidemic
  3. Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy — mercury found in HFCS products (2009)

Products Containing High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) (85 found)

These products were found to contain high fructose corn syrup (hfcs) or its variants in our database of 26,000+ grocery products.

#ProductBrandScore
1Trail Mix Snack PacksKirkland,Kirkland Signature,M&M's0/100
2CIRCLE K, FAVORITES, STRAWBERRY TWISTSHoliday Candy Corp, Inc.0/100
3Trail MixKirkland0/100
4ORIGINAL GRAPE, GREEN APPLE, LEMON, STRAWBERRY, ORANGE BITE SIZE CANDIES, ORIGINALMars Chocolate North America LLC1/100
5Trail MixKirkland1/100
6ULTIMATE MEAT MILD ITALIAN SAUSAGE, PREMIUM SLICED PEPPERONI, SEASONED BEEF CRUMBLES, SLICED BEEF STEAK, AND SMOKY BACON TRADITIONAL CRUST MEDIUM PIZZA, ULTIMATE MEATWal-Mart Stores, Inc.2/100
7CIRCLE K, FAVORITES, ORANGE SLICES SWEET CHEWY CANDYHoliday Candy Corp, Inc.5/100
8CIRCLE K, FAVORITES, GUMMI WORMSHoliday Candy Corp, Inc.6/100
9Kirkland Signature Dipped & Chewy Granola Bar CaramelKirkland Signature7/100
10BREAD CRUMBSTea Trading Corp Of India8/100
11Skittles LittlesSkittles9/100
12FAVORITE DAY BAKERY COOKIES VARIETY PACK, 16 COUNT, 22.4 OZTarget Stores10/100
13VALENCIA PEANUT BUTTER FILLED PRETZEL NUGGETS PRETZELS, PEANUT BUTTERCostco Companies Inc.10/100
14CIRCLE K, FAVORITES, CHEWY FRUITY CANDY, CHERRY SOURS, CHERRY SOURSHoliday Candy Corp, Inc.10/100
15CIRCLE K, FAVORITES, PEACH RINGSHoliday Candy Corp, Inc.11/100

Safer Alternatives to High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

Raw honeyMaple syrupCoconut sugarDate syrupStevia
📬

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the side effects of high fructose corn syrup?
HFCS has been linked to obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, elevated triglycerides, heart disease risk, and gout.
Why is HFCS so common in US foods?
HFCS is cheaper than cane sugar due to US corn subsidies and sugar tariffs. It's found in sodas, bread, ketchup, yogurt, cereal, and thousands of processed foods.

⚕️ Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Side effect data is compiled from published scientific studies and regulatory assessments. Always consult your healthcare provider for personalized guidance. Last updated: 2026-03-05.

Other Ingredient Side Effects

Red 40 (Allura Red AC) Yellow 5 (Tartrazine) Yellow 6 (Sunset Yellow FCF) Red 3 (Erythrosine) Blue 1 (Brilliant Blue FCF) Blue 2 (Indigo Carmine) Aspartame Sucralose Acesulfame Potassium (Ace-K) MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) All Ingredient Side Effects Banned in Europe Ingredient Encyclopedia
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📋 Cite This Data
APACheckIt AI. (2026). "High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) Side Effects — Health Risks, FDA Status & Products | CheckIt AI". Climaverse PBC. Retrieved from https://getcheck.it/side-effects/hfcs
MLA"High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) Side Effects — Health Risks, FDA Status & Products | CheckIt AI." CheckIt AI, Climaverse PBC, 2026-03-05. https://getcheck.it/side-effects/hfcs.
HTML Embed<a href="https://getcheck.it/side-effects/hfcs">High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) Side Effects — Health Risks, FDA Status & Products | CheckIt AI — CheckIt AI</a>
BibTeX@misc{checkit2026sideeffectshfcs, title = {High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) Side Effects — Health Risks, FDA Status & Products | CheckIt AI}, author = {CheckIt AI}, year = {2026}, publisher = {Climaverse PBC}, url = {https://getcheck.it/side-effects/hfcs}, note = {Retrieved 2026-03-05} }