High-Fructose Corn Syrup
Also known as: HFCS-55, HFCS-42, Glucose-fructose syrup, Isoglucose
Enzymatically isomerised corn syrup. Cheaper than sucrose and the dominant added sugar in US processed food.
At a glance
How High-Fructose Corn Syrup compares to table sugar on the three numbers most people actually want.
Ten-metric breakdown
See methodology →- Taste qualityWeight 20%90
- Glycemic impactWeight 18%15
- NaturalnessWeight 10%Pending
- Tooth friendlinessWeight 8%10
- Overall safetyWeight 14%Pending
- Digestive comfortWeight 8%70
- Gut microbiomeWeight 8%Pending
- AftertasteWeight 6%Pending
- SustainabilityWeight 4%Pending
- Allergen safetyWeight 4%85
Source: public.sweeteners snapshot, refreshed 2026-04-27. "Pending" cells are catalogued but not yet graded by SweetSpot research.
What it actually is
HFCS is corn starch hydrolysed to glucose, then enzymatically isomerised to a glucose/fructose mix — typically 55% fructose for soft drinks (HFCS-55) or 42% for baked goods (HFCS-42). Total sweetness is roughly equal to sucrose.
The metabolic critique focuses on dose and form, not exotic chemistry: HFCS is a cheap free-sugar source that enabled enormous added-sugar increases in US processed food from 1980 onward. Per-calorie, HFCS-55 is fairly close to sucrose; per-real-world-exposure, it is much worse because it is everywhere.
The high fructose load is associated with NAFLD, hyperuricaemia, insulin resistance and — by way of soft-drink consumption — obesity. EU regulations cap isoglucose production, which is one reason European products often use sucrose where US products use HFCS.
- Cheap, easy to dose in liquid form
- Stable, pumpable, long shelf life
- High fructose burden on the liver
- Ubiquitous in US processed food — drives total added-sugar exposure
- Strong association with NAFLD and metabolic syndrome at population level
Regulatory status
In practice
- Industrial use only; almost never a deliberate consumer choice
- Most people, most of the time
Mainstream sodas, condiments, breakfast cereals, bread
The evidence
Selected peer-reviewed sources behind the score. Open access where possible. Read our scoring methodology for how we weight evidence tiers.
Recommended swaps
Higher-scoring alternatives that perform similarly in use.
A rare sugar that tastes 70% as sweet as sucrose with ~10% the calories and a negligible — sometimes mildly suppressive — insulin response.
Mogrosides from Siraitia grosvenorii. 150–250× sweeter, no glycemic effect, cleaner aftertaste than stevia.
Steviol glycosides from Stevia rebaudiana. 200–400× sweeter than sugar, zero glycemic.