New Sweetener Showing Up On Oklahoma Store Shelves

Jamie McGriff, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- There's something new showing up on food labels at your grocery store, it's called "high maltose" corn syrup.

It got us wondering with so many people trying to get high fructose corn syrup out of their diets, should they try to eliminate this too?

Recently my executive producer at the News On 6 noticed something different when she went grocery shopping.

She spotted this, "high maltose" corn syrup on a label and it turns out this item is popping up on a number of items on grocery shelves.

This is different from "high fructose" corn syrup that you'd normally see. It's sometimes called corn sugar, according to MayoClinic.com.

You'll find that it's used as a sweetener in many processed foods and beverages. And for those of you who are trying to cut down on sugar consumption you might think, "high maltose" might be a healthier option.

But we checked with Chad Goodwin, a nutrition professor, to find out what "high maltose" is all about.

"It's sugar, and it's still got calories. so it's basically the same. Not much different from high fructose corn syrup. Food manufacturers way of making and preserving foods and making foods a little cheaper, and still adding enough sugar into the food to make it taste better," said Chad Goodwin.

The American Heart Association recommends women should eat no more than 100 calories a day of added sugar. That's 6 teaspoons. For men the guideline is 150 calories or nine teaspoons.