Corn, the nation’s largest crop, is produced for a wide range of makes use of, together with meals for people and animals, alcohol for gasoline and exports to international nations. Nearly all of these makes use of have elevated during the last a number of years.
Nevertheless, corn produced for high-fructose corn syrup has decreased by 21% over the previous decade, dropping from 521 million bushels in 2010 to 410 million bushels final yr.
Excessive-fructose corn syrup is utilized in a wide range of processed meals, together with ketchup, soda and sweet. It’s an essential enterprise for corporations like Archer Daniels Midland, which operates the world’s largest corn syrup processing plant in Illinois.
Nevertheless, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Well being and Human Companies, has lengthy decried corn syrup as a “poison” resulting in America’s excessive weight problems charges. Kennedy needs to push corporations away from high-fructose corn syrup.
A current New York Occasions report highlighted Kennedy’s views and the way they put him at odds with a lot of America’s corn belt, which has largely supported Trump.
Whereas Kennedy goals to wean America off corn syrup, its manufacturing has already been declining, a pattern the USDA attributes to customers looking for alternate options to the product.
Different corn-based merchandise have elevated since 2010, together with alcohol for drinks and animal feed.
Republish our articles totally free, on-line or in print.
