As part of a recent push to reduce or remove processed foods and ingredients from the nation’s food supply, Tyson Foods has announced they will remove several ingredients from their portfolio of products by the end of 2025.
Based on their press release on September 15, Tyson Foods has declared those ingredients will include high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), sucralose (an artificial sweetener), BHA/BHT (synthetic antioxidants) and titanium dioxide (a color additive). The removal will span across brands, including Tyson, Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm, Wright, State Fair, Aidells, ibp, among others.
HFCS is likely the most controversial ingredient of them all. The sweetener, made from corn starch, is broken down in the body and metabolized as sugar, similarly to other sugars we consume. It’s often used in packaged foods because it’s inexpensive to produce, just as sweet as sucrose (table sugar) and can easily be mixed into a variety of products to add sweetness and palatability.
The reason it has gained so much negative publicity is complex. When consumed in excess, just like any sugar, it can push the liver to make more fat, which can build up in the body and be stored as triglycerides or excess body fat. Over time, this can contribute to weight gain, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and heart disease, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Consuming too much sugar can also increase inflammation in the body, which can contribute to the aforementioned health conditions, as well as gut issues, fatigue, mental health conditions and a poor immune system, to name a few. This is not just true of HFCS, but any added sugar.
In general, sugar does not provide any nutritional benefit, it’s simply there to make food taste good. A small amount consumed, in conjunction with a heart-healthy diet, will likely not cause much of a problem. But when consumed in excess, it can contribute to a slew of health problems. And the concern with the current food system is that HFCS is used in so many food products that it can be difficult to avoid. By large food companies like Tyson Foods removing it from their products, the hope is it will help the population as a whole reduce their consumption of sugar.
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While HFCS takes the brunt of the bad press, it’s important to note that studies show HFCS may be no worse than sucrose when it comes to health impact, as they both seem to contribute in a similar way to metabolic- and heart-related conditions.
A meta-analysis by Frontiers in Nutrition published in 2022 that examined usage of HFCS and sucrose concluded “no significant changes between the two sweeteners were evident in other anthropometric and metabolic parameters” when comparing waist circumference, body mass index, fat mass, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides and blood pressure.
While as a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) I am glad to hear food companies are working to reduce the amount of added sugar in their products, it depends on what they plan to use as a replacement for HFCS. Tyson Foods did not include in their press release what their intentions are regarding replacement ingredients. If it’s other types of sugar, it may not make the positive impact on health that we’re seeking. Tyson Foods states their mission is to “feed families and the nation with trusted food products”, so we’re hoping that’ll be taken into consideration when reformulating their iconic portfolio of foods.
