Turkish health authorities highlight the growing health concerns associated with high-fructose corn syrup and starch-based sugars, urging for better labels and reduced intake, especially among children and at-risk groups.
Turkish health official İlhan Satman has warned that heavy consumption of starch-based sugar is linked to a wide range of health problems, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Satman, who chairs the Sugar Scientific Commission of the National Nutrition Council, argued that the risks are tied not just to sweetness itself but to the way high-fructose sweeteners are used across processed foods and drinks.
Satman said glucose and fructose occur naturally in many foods, but added sugar is produced mainly as sucrose or as starch-based sugar, often from corn and sometimes from wheat, potatoes, rice or cassava. He said sucrose, the table sugar commonly used in households, breaks down into equal parts glucose and fructose, while starch-based sweeteners can vary in composition. Healthline and Cleveland Clinic both describe high-fructose corn syrup as a processed sweetener derived from corn starch that is widely used in packaged foods and beverages.
He also said that, although sucrose and starch-based sugar provide the same calories per gram, some soft drinks and other products sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup may contain more fructose than consumers expect. That matters, he said, because large amounts of fructose can reduce the liver’s sensitivity to insulin and contribute to metabolic problems. Healthline notes that excess intake of high-fructose corn syrup has been associated with liver fat, obesity and insulin resistance, while other reviews stress that the broader health problem is overconsumption of added sugar rather than one sweetener being uniquely harmful.
The commission chief said the concern is sharpened by the prevalence of these ingredients in fizzy drinks, confectionery, baked goods, dairy products and packaged snacks, where they are used because they are stable, help extend shelf life and can be cheaper than sucrose. He also pointed to evidence linking ultra-processed foods with obesity-related cancer risk, saying that added sugar, unhealthy fats and chemical additives can together disrupt metabolism and the gut microbiome. Independent nutrition articles similarly note that HFCS is common in processed products and that moderation is the key message from most health guidance.
Satman said children, especially those under two, as well as people with metabolic disease or a high risk of developing it, should avoid added sugar, particularly starch-based varieties. He said no form of starch-based sugar should be treated as harmless and argued that sweetened drinks are a priority target for reduction. He noted that Turkey has gradually tightened production quotas, cutting the starch-based sugar quota from 10% to 5% in 2018 and to 2.5% from 2024, and said clearer labelling and better nutrition literacy would help consumers make more informed choices. He also cited a study based on FAO data which placed Turkey among the five European countries with the highest use of high-fructose corn syrup, alongside Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Belgium.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
