In 2010 Corn Refiners Association petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to officially refer to High Fructose Corn Syrup as "corn sugar" on nutrition labels. The FDA, however, refused the request on Wednesday.
Per Grist, we learn that While the Corn Refiners Association said in a statement that the denial was based on "narrow, technical grounds," the FDA explained its decision by saying, in part, "... the use of the term “corn sugar” for HFCS would suggest that HFCS is a solid, dried, and crystallized sweetener obtained from corn. Instead, HFCS is an aqueous solution sweetener derived from corn." The FDA also pointed out that the phrase "corn syrup" is already being used to describe dextrose.
According to the Huffington Post, a lawyer for the Sugar Association said that to rename the sweetening substance would be "a con game."
The push for a name change is likely due to the bad reputation the substance has gotten over the years. In fact, the Corn Refiners Association said that "the vast majority of American consumers are confused about HFCS." Though they tried to clear up any confusion with advertisments which emphasized how the syrup is a form of sugar that has the same (lack of) nutritional value as the crystalized granuals most people are comfortable with, the Sugar Association filed a lawsuit. The Sugar Association claimed that the campaign was misleading.
In addition to a difference in form, there are other distinctions between the two sweeteners. HCFS, which is commonly made from a fructose and glucose mixture, is six times sweeter than cane sugar. It's also cheaper to produce, which is why it became common in the 1980s.
