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High-fructose corn syrup: what it is, what the FDA says and where it shows up.

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What high-fructose corn syrup is (HFCS 42 and 55), what the FDA says about it compared with sugar, the WHO limit on free sugars, why NOVA treats it as a marker of ultra-processing, and catalog products that list corn syrups.

Quick answer

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a sweetener made from corn starch; the most common forms contain 42 or 55 percent fructose, with the rest mostly glucose. The FDA says it is not aware of evidence that foods with HFCS 42 or 55 are less safe than foods with similar amounts of other nutritive sweeteners such as sucrose or honey, and supports limiting all added sugars. The WHO advises keeping free sugars below 10 percent of daily energy. NOVA lists HFCS as a marker of ultra-processed food.

Common forms
HFCS 42 and 55
FDA view
No evidence less safe than sucrose
WHO
Free sugars under 10% of energy
Also matched here
Glucose-fructose syrup

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01 · A closer look

What HFCS is.

The FDA says HFCS is derived from corn starch and that the most common forms contain either 42 percent or 55 percent fructose, with the remainder glucose and water. It notes sucrose has a chemical bond joining glucose and fructose that HFCS lacks, but stomach acid and gut enzymes quickly break that bond after eating.

FDA: high fructose corn syrup, questions and answers (content current as of Jan 4, 2018)

02 · A closer look

What the FDA says about safety.

The FDA says it is not aware of evidence that foods containing HFCS 42 or 55 are less safe than foods with similar amounts of other nutritive sweeteners such as sucrose or honey. It supports the Dietary Guidelines advice to limit all added sugars, including HFCS and sucrose. The page is current as of January 4, 2018, so check for newer FDA statements.

FDA: high fructose corn syrup, questions and answers (content current as of Jan 4, 2018)

03 · A closer look

Sugar limits that apply to all sweeteners.

The WHO’s healthy diet fact sheet says free sugars should be limited to less than 10 percent of total daily energy intake, and that 5 percent or less may provide additional health benefits. These limits cover sugars of every kind, so they do not single out HFCS.

WHO: healthy diet fact sheet (Jan 26, 2026)

04 · A closer look

HFCS and ultra-processed foods.

The NOVA authors list high-fructose corn syrup among substances rarely or never used in home kitchens, so it counts as a marker of an ultra-processed product. That is a classification of the formulation, not a statement about HFCS’s own safety.

Monteiro et al., Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them, Public Health Nutrition (2019)

05 · A closer look

Finding it on a label.

Look for “high fructose corn syrup”, “HFCS”, “corn syrup” and, on EU and Canadian labels, “glucose-fructose syrup” or “isoglucose”. This checker’s corn syrup group matches those names. The products below list one on their recorded label, picked across shelves; open any for the full statement and verification date.

The short answer

Our picks for high-fructose corn syrup

No pick yetEvery scored high-fructose corn syrup label lists at least one of the groups we check, so nothing here earns a pick.

Clear noHungry-Man Popcorn Chicken with Spiced Rub Bbq Sauce (lists seed oils, artificial preservatives, hydrogenated oils and corn syrups), Town House Original Oven Baked Crackers (lists seed oils, artificial preservatives and corn syrups), Snickers Minis (lists seed oils, hydrogenated oils and corn syrups), plus 21 more with a listed group.

Ranked from 24 of 24 products with current labels. Every product is in the table below; a score reflects labels and claims, not nutrition, allergies or safety.

Compare the recorded labels

Find the ingredients that matter to you.

24 of 24 products

“No …” columns: None found on the label · Listed on the label · Unknown. Diet fit: Fits · Doesn’t fit · Unknown (rules; not medical advice). Claims: verified · not established. Default: most check marks first; not a health score.

Compare product claims and recorded ingredients. Click a column heading to sort.
Buy
78 / 1007 of 9 groups clear · organic not applicableFind where to buy ↗Product details →3
63 / 1008 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →4
63 / 1008 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimBuy on Amazon ↗Product details →4
63 / 1008 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →4
63 / 1008 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimFind where to buy ↗Product details →4
63 / 1008 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →4
63 / 1008 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimFind where to buy ↗Product details →4
55 / 1007 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →3
55 / 1007 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →3
55 / 1007 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →4
55 / 1007 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →3
55 / 1007 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →3
55 / 1007 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →3
55 / 1007 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →3
55 / 1007 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →3
55 / 1007 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →3
47 / 1006 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →3
47 / 1007 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimFind where to buy ↗Product details →3
47 / 1007 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →3
47 / 1007 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →4
47 / 1007 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →4
47 / 1006 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →3
47 / 1006 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →3
39 / 1005 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimProduct details →3
How the clean score works

No setup needed, and strict: a full 100 needs every additive group clear and a verified organic claim (animal foods also need a verified grass-fed or pasture-raised claim; wild seafood and salt, which have no USDA organic standard, are scored without the organic points, and plant-based milks, cheeses and proteins without the feeding claim). Points: the nine additive groups (seed oils, artificial dyes, MSG, artificial sweeteners, carrageenan, artificial preservatives, hydrogenated oils, corn syrups, banned-abroad additives) share 60 points equally — not found earns a group’s full share, “may contain” earns half, listed earns 0; a verified organic claim is worth 25; a verified grass-fed or pasture-raised claim is worth 15 and counts only for animal foods. No claim, or an expired or unverified claim, earns nothing, so products without those claims cannot reach 100. Unverified or expired ingredient labels receive no score. Equal scores are equal. Ties are ordered by brand. Unknown and stale evidence never passes “Only show matches.” Producer claims and prices do not affect this score. This is not a nutrition, allergy, or safety rating.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Buying links do not influence ingredient results. “Buy on Amazon” opens a reviewed product listing; “Find where to buy” opens the maker’s page. Confirm the package, seller, stock, and current price before checkout. Price observations expire after 30 days.

Primary sources

Sources

  1. FDA: high fructose corn syrup, questions and answers (content current as of Jan 4, 2018) fda.gov
  2. WHO: healthy diet fact sheet (Jan 26, 2026) who.int
  3. Monteiro et al., Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them, Public Health Nutrition (2019) pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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