Is high fructose corn syrup sweeter than sugar?
No. When high fructose corn syrup was developed, it was specifically formulated to provide sweetness equivalent to sugar. In order for food and beverage makers to use high fructose corn syrup in place of sugar, it was important that it provide the same level of sweetness as sugar so that consumers would not perceive a difference in product sweetness and taste. HFCS-55 has sweetness equivalent to sugar and is used in many carbonated soft drinks in the United States. HFCS-42 is somewhat less sweet and is used in many fruit-flavored noncarbonated beverages, baked goods and other products in which its special characteristics such as fermentability, lower freezing point, surface browning and flavor enhancement add value to the product.
