Surprising HFCS food of the week
>> Wednesday, August 12, 2009
I should probably title this series "Surprising HFCS of every couple of every month or so" now, but I'm sticking with the "of the week" moniker. I'm rarely surprised by foods that contain HFCS now. I can usually see them coming. But, every now and then, a food catches me by surprise. That happened just this week...
The food that caught me off guard? Stewed tomatoes! So obvious, right? Of course there's HFCS in stewed tomatoes. (Sarcasm, in case you didn't pick that up.) I needed a can of stewed tomatoes with Mexican seasoning for a recipe that I made yesterday. I flipped the can over to scan the ingredients, and there it was - my old nemesis high fructose corn syrup. The can that got flipped was S&W Stewed Tomatoes - Mexican Recipe. They weren't the only offender. Del Monte Mexican Stewed Tomatoes also contain HFCS.
I surprised to find sugar as an ingredient at all in stewed tomatoes, but it was in all of them in some form - regardless of the brand. And where sugar is a common ingredient, you can be sure to find HFCS in one brand or another. There were several brands of stewed tomatoes that did not use HFCS - including the generic store brand and Hunts.
Speaking of unusual places for sugar to hang out, I found sugar in the ingredient list for most canned beans. I understand the purpose of the sugar - to sweeten up the beans and make the easier on the tongue - but when I'm buying a plain jane can of beans, I kind of expect to get just that. It took quite a bit of searching to find a can of beans that did not have sugar in it. (Private Selection Red Kidney Beans, Kroger's organic store brand, was added sugar free.)
Just another friendly reminder to read those ingredients! Sometimes you'll be surprised what is in seemingly straight-forward products!
12 comments:
It's a minefield, isn't it? I was label reading at the market yesterday because I needed zesty diced tomatoes with green chilies for a recipe. I was shocked to find HFCS in some of the brands. I found one without, so I bought it. I like to stick to Muir Glen, mostly, but all the markets don't carry that brand.
I pretty much always go for generic store brands because it's amazing how often those brands are not only way cheaper, but have way fewer ingredients as well!
No way! I'm always careful not to buy tomato sauces or pasta sauces due to the sugar, but I tend to go towards the stewed tomatoes, even the flavored ones, because I think they are just tomotoes and savory seasonings. Thanks for the tip! I'll be on the look out.
No surprise for me. :) My wife likes stewed tomatoes alot so I buy the store brand, which does not add HFCS. I was totally grossed out to see that so many national brands use it. Even harder to find is pickles without HFCS.
There seems to be a slow shift to HFCS-free underway. The companies engaged in this shift may just be doing it for media attention, but blogs like this have maybe also raised awareness?
i have a page where i am assembling a list of these product lines (under construction):
Ban HFCS Blog
please add to it!
It's outrageous where you find sugar and HFCS....I believe that brands are competing for consumer loyalty and because probably the majority of consumers don't read the label on a can of beans or stewed tomatoes, what they do remember is what brand tasted best. The brand with sugar, of course!
Canned soups are another problem....even many of the "healthy" organic soups are loaded with sugar. A good reason to make homemade!
i had the same shock and awe when i read sugar was in the ingredient list of some organic stewed tomatoes I got at costco. i think the flavored ones are more likely to have sugar/HFCS. I try to buy the plain ones and add my own onion, garlic, basil flavors when making sauce. I've been buying organic crushed bionaturae (find at HEB) in the large can, best price and the only ingredient besides tomatoes and salt is citric acid (vitamin c). only down side is they are imported from italy, so that's a lot of fossil fuels used up to get to my table. how is it that they are less expensive than organic brands made in US?
Wow this is one I didn't know either. And i generally cook with stewed tomatoes a lot in the fall and winter hen soups and stews season rolls in. Well know I know just in time
Wow indeed it is a shocking news, I was not aware of this, I buy a lot of the product.
what? this is terrible, in this moment the healthy food is something very weird, all have preservant and chemicals, for that reason there reason there many stomach diseases and illness.
This can't truly have success, I feel this way.
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