Smackdown: Blue Bell vs. Breyer's

From Slash/Food:

The ultimate face-off. Upon first tasting the Homemade Vanilla, we found it was one of the most smooth and custard like ice creams we've ever had. In fact, it was so rich a velvety, you could actually taste the heavy cream. When compared with our original number one, we can admit that Blue Blue was a better blended experience -- milk, sugar, cream and all. However, we will say this. We still believe Breyer's has a stronger vanilla taste and we like that fact that it doesn't have high fructose corn syrup in it (Blue Bell does), but the sweet ending of the Homemade Vanilla brought us back to our childhood and we almost finished the container in one sitting.
Overall Winner: Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla

Why, oh why, does Blue Bell use HFCS? Still, congrats Blue Bell.

And thanks to Matt.

HEB Throwback

Princeton researchers find that high-fructose corn syrup prompts considerably more weight gain

From Princeton University (via Daring Fireball):

A Princeton University research team has demonstrated that all sweeteners are not equal when it comes to weight gain: Rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight than those with access to table sugar, even when their overall caloric intake was the same.

In addition to causing significant weight gain in lab animals, long-term consumption of high-fructose corn syrup also led to abnormal increases in body fat, especially in the abdomen, and a rise in circulating blood fats called triglycerides. The researchers say the work sheds light on the factors contributing to obesity trends in the United States.

"Some people have claimed that high-fructose corn syrup is no different than other sweeteners when it comes to weight gain and obesity, but our results make it clear that this just isn't true, at least under the conditions of our tests," said psychology professor Bart Hoebel, who specializes in the neuroscience of appetite, weight and sugar addiction. "When rats are drinking high-fructose corn syrup at levels well below those in soda pop, they're becoming obese -- every single one, across the board. Even when rats are fed a high-fat diet, you don't see this; they don't all gain extra weight."

Finally, scientific evidence to back up my hypothesis.

Brands Quietly, Slowly Switching from High Fructose Corn Syrup

From AdAge:

Bowing to consumer demands, major brands are removing high-fructose corn syrup from some of their products in favor of sugar. Few, however, are shouting it from the rooftops as it would cast a shadow on those products that still contain HFCS.

Hunt's ketchup, Gatorade and Wheat Thins are all permanently ditching corn syrup for sugar. Heinz has created a sugar-sweetened version of its iconic ketchup, while Pepsi and Mtn Dew launched limited-time, sugar-sweetened versions of their colas. But with all of these reformulations, only Pepsi and Mtn Dew have made any noise to date.

Marketers and industry experts agree that the shift has been brought on primarily by consumers, who have begun to question the use of HFCS in food and beverage products, as they gravitate toward what they consider to be more natural products.

Most manufacturers switched to HFCS in the 1970s and 1980s, as corn subsidies made the sweetener extremely cheap. However, increased ethanol production in recent years has boosted the price of corn, and consequently corn sweeteners.

As those of you who read this blog regularly know, I'm quite passionate about my soft drinks, and I've also come to think that HFCS is the devil. In fact, while I'm trying to limit my soft drink intake, I've gone almost exclusively to sugar-sweetened sodas when I do drink them (thanks to Kristi and the kids for bringing me a Mexican Coke today with lunch). And I'm still waiting for Pepsi to quit toying with us and just offer Pepsi and Mountain Dew Throwback as permanent products.

This is a start, at least.

Backlash Against High Fructose Corn Syrup Continues

High fructose corn syrup is the devil. That's why I was so geeked earlier in the summer about Pepsi and Mountain Dew Throwback and Mexican Coke, all of which use real sugar instead of HFCS.

Then this today at AdAge:

"Kraft Foods has reformulated a handful of its most popular products in recent years, removing high-fructose corn syrup from Bulls-Eye barbecue sauce, Capri Sun Juice drinks with 25% less sugar, and the majority of its Kraft Salad Dressings line. The company is launching a campaign for Wheat Thins next week, from agency Draft FCB, Chicago. Kraft has reformulated the crackers, more than doubling their whole-grain content, and getting rid of HFCS."

and

"Some beverage companies are also promoting their lack of HFCS. PepsiCo launched "throwback" versions of Pepsi and Mountain Dew, which are essentially HFCS-free formulations in retro cans. The products proved successful, leading the company to bring them back for another eight-week run, beginning Dec. 28. A third product, Pepsi Natural, launched this spring and is being positioned as a premium cola. Snapple, meanwhile, went a step further, revamping its entire line of premium juices and teas to eliminate HFCS."

Did you read that? Throwback will be BACK, just in time for, well, January. But it will be BACK!!!

Note to Pepsi: There's obviously a demand for pepsi Throwback, and you're selling it at the same price as regular Pepsi. Why not just make it a permanent product?

I want my Throwback!!!!

Pepsi and Mountain Dew Throwback came out on April 20, and I've been keeping my eyes peeled for it every since, to no avail. It's only supposed to be out for 8 FREAKING WEEKS, so I know my window is limited.

Today I decided to take things into my own hands and go straight to Pepsi's website to use their store locator. According to their store locator (which is horribly designed, btw) there are no stores in any major metropolitan areas in Texas that carry it. I tried Atlanta. Nope. Ditto San Francisco and Los Angeles. The only place I could find that sells it is in Manhattan, NY.

That is unacceptable. I want my damn Throwback, Pepsi. If only yakeees are getting the sugary goodness for 8 weeks, I'm going to be all kinds of pissed and might just stop enjoying the occasional Pepsi all together.

Effing give me my sugar water, dammit!