PCC Natural Markets Removes All Products With High-Fructose Corn Syrup From Shelves

[hatrack]

Wow. I didn't even think that was possible.

There are no Wheat Thins at PCC Natural Markets, no boxes of Kellogg's Raisin Bran, not even any Sara Lee whole grain bagels or Oroweat cracked-wheat hot dog buns. What customers will find is almost unheard of: a supermarket free of products containing high-fructose corn syrup.

After years of winnowing out the ubiquitous sweetener, the eight-store natural foods co-op announced this week that the rout was complete. While the science behind the move is still the subject of hot debate, the scope is unquestioned.

"The next frontier is here," said Bob Vosburgh, health and wellness editor for the trade publication Supermarket News, who called PCC an industry leader in such controversial topics. PCC apparently is the second significant organization nationally to take on the issue.

And its customers seem to appreciate the ban. "I'm completely happy about that," said Karen Hunt, 42, when told of PCC's decision. She said it will makes it easier to pick out healthier cookies and chips for her two young children. Like many PCC shoppers, Hunt is an avid label reader. She avoids all artificial sweeteners and trans fats as well as hormones in milk, and she steers clear of high-fructose corn syrup.

EDIT

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/food/341888_fructose01web.html

[Frustratedlady]

1. Good for them! I wish all the stores would do the same.

I am convinced the fructose is the problem with many of the weight gains we see today, including my own. I try to avoid such foods, but they are everywhere. You can't eat anything without it. We found it was even in potato chips. Why?

[kestrel91316]

2. Good for them! Yay! HFCS is BAD STUFF. The epitome of empty calories.

[Stevepol]

3. K&R! n/t

[silverweb]

4. Bravo!

Hopefully, this will start a trend among other natural market chains. (Are you listening, Whole Foods?).

I once emailed General Mills to tell them that although I loved their Wheat Chex and Rice Chex cereals, I wouldn't buy any more until they got rid of the HFCS, which was a health hazard to many people. They sent a condescending reply about how other consumers demand a certain texture and to "feel free" to buy a "lesser brand."

Let's see what happens when entire chains start rejecting their products until they get rid of the HFCS. :D

[fed-up]

5. my organic farmer BF saw something on TV about HFCS and now refuses to buy anything

that it is in.

Finally-3 years of my blitching about that garbage and it finally sunk into his sometimes very thick skull.

[Kurovski]

6. Good news. (nt)

[freeplessinseattle]

7. Right on!

now all the more reason for me to love that store.

[YankeyMCC]

8. Outstanding!

That could not have been an easy task...may they have much success!

[Raster]

9. when all the nutritional chips are laid on the table, HFCS will be shown to be THE major factor

in the epidemic of Type 2 (formerly adult onset) diabetes in America today. It is destructive and addictive and the US Government and big Agri-Business have known this for years.

[LiberalEsto]

10. HFCS is addictive

I lost 26 pounds in 2006 with acupuncture. The acupuncture more or less got rid of my chocolate cravings, and I finally was able to give up Chips Deluxe cookies after several years of virtual addiction.

One thing that helped a great deal was Nature's Promise chocolate chip, granola bars, which are sold by the Giant supermarket chain in the D.C. area. These granola bars are sweetened with brown rice syrup. They tasted good, but they didn't create huge cravings. I could eat one bar a day instead of the cookies, and didn't need any more than that.

Then Giant pulled them off the market early this year. Looking for a substitute to keep me from going back to the cookies, I went for the Quaker 25% less sugar chocolate chip granola bars. Unfortunately these contain high fructose corn syrup. As the weeks went by I found myself craving more and more of these each day. I began gaining back some of the weight I had lost.

Last week I saw that Giant had brought back the Nature's Promise granola bars. I bought a box. Right away I found that I could get by with just one of these a day instead of 5 or 6 HFCS-sweetened granola bars. What a relief! Eventually I will cut down to half of one a day, and maybe give them up for good. But I won't touch those HFCS Quaker bars again.

It is just amazing how HFCS can create addictive cravings. The stuff is a form of poison, and unfortunately it's in almost everything now. Try buying a bottle of ginger ale without HFCS in a regular supermarket. It's not possible.

[suziedemocrat]

12. That is an amazing story. I didn't know HFCS was addictive like that. thanks! n/t

[Hekate]

11. Excellent! I shop Trader Joe's & have noticed that most of their products have no HFCS by now. nt