Corn sugar

Corn sugar is a key ingredient in home beer making.

These added sugars assume various names on food labels: sucrose, invert sugar, corn sugar, corn syrups and solids, high-fructose corn syrup, and honey.

Last week, the industry group applied to the federal government for permission to use a new name for the ingredient on food labels: "corn sugar."

The Corn Refiners Association wants to use "corn sugar" as an alternative name for the widely used liquid sweetener currently labeled as high fructose corn syrup on most sodas and packaged foods.

In April, eight leading sugar companies and two trade associations sued six corn processors and a lobbying group, alleging the corn industry is improperly using the term "corn sugar" in advertisements and elsewhere to describe high-fructose corn syrup, a widely used sweetener used in snack foods, condiments, fruit drinks and other products.

The Food and Drug Administration has cautioned the corn industry over its use of the term "corn sugar" to describe high fructose corn syrup before the proposed new name has received regulatory approval.