Corn Syrup Solids

[Noelle610]

Hey ladies, hope you are all doing well today.

I'm in search of a formula that doesn't contain corn syrup solids. Do they exist, and if so, are they crazy expensive?

Thanks in advance!

 

[skunkpixie]

Sorry I cant be of much help as im in the UK but formula must vary alot more than I orginally thought from country to country as no formulas in the UK contain corn syrup as far as I know. Wouldnt know why its in formula anyway..... xxx

 

[Noelle610]

Sorry I cant be of much help as im in the UK but formula must vary alot more than I orginally thought from country to country as no formulas in the UK contain corn syrup as far as I know. Wouldnt know why its in formula anyway..... xxx

It seems like all of the formulas in the US contain it - Emfamil, Similac, Gerber. I think it likely has something to do with bulking up the milk with calories, but that's just a guess!

 

[vintage67]

Earth's Best Organic Formula (over 30.00 a can) doesn't have corn syrup solids listed, but has "organic glucose syrup solids" listed.

I know it's disheartening. I'm diabetic and the thought of my sons ingesting corn syrup solids when they are born with a 25% chance of diabetes because of me, is heartbreaking.

But I couldn't have done anymore to try and breastfeed either time, no matter what someone on the internet says.

 

[ceejie]

I've switched to Gerber (Nestle in Canada) as the first ingredient isn't Corn Syrup Solids like it is on Similac!

 

[Lady_Bee]

Maybe I'm being ignorant but why are corn syrup solids bad? I understand there's a lot of fear about HFCS but that's different from corn syrup. I thought corn syrup was just a different form of sugar (dextrose I think?)? With non-milk-based formulas for lactose intolerant babies etc. they've gotta have something in there to make it sweet right? Breastmilk is loaded with sugar (lactose). Is corn syrup an ingredient in milk-based formulas as well? That's a little more confusing to me but I'm still not so sure it's a bad thing per se.

Is this something to worry about and why? I'm moving to the states in a couple of weeks and we will be looking for a formula brand there to switch to as won't be able to get Aptamil (which just has lactose to make it sweet as far as I know)...

 

[Lady_Bee]

Btw, Vintage, I am about 95% sure glucose syrup solids are exactly the same thing as corn syrup solids. I might be wrong. But I am pretty sure. Or did you know that already? Sorry if I'm misreading your post!

 

[Noelle610]

Maybe I'm being ignorant but why are corn syrup solids bad? I understand there's a lot of fear about HFCS but that's different from corn syrup. I thought corn syrup was just a different form of sugar (dextrose I think?)? With non-milk-based formulas for lactose intolerant babies etc. they've gotta have something in there to make it sweet right? Breastmilk is loaded with sugar (lactose). Is corn syrup an ingredient in milk-based formulas as well? That's a little more confusing to me but I'm still not so sure it's a bad thing per se.

Is this something to worry about and why? I'm moving to the states in a couple of weeks and we will be looking for a formula brand there to switch to as won't be able to get Aptamil (which just has lactose to make it sweet as far as I know)...

You know, you may have a point... I'm not sure that they're "bad". I didn't realize that breast milk had a lot of sugar, but it makes sense. I guess I just hear "corn syrup" and think "that' doesn't seem natural!". It could be an uneducated knee-jerk reaction.

 

[Lady_Bee]

I'd have to research it more but yeah. I know what you mean... but thinking about it, carbs are essential really, babies need a lot of energy and they need it in a simple form that their bodies can easily use. So aside from making it taste sweet and appealing to babies, it also has a nutritional purpose (carbs = energy).

ETA - does this help at all? https://www.infantformula.org/news-...s/IFC-Statement-Carbohydrates-Infant-Formulas

ETA2 - also, I have heard that there are some organic formula brands that have brown rice syrup instead of corn syrup. I'm not sure which brands though! Sorry. But I know they do exist. Somewhere. lol. (There was some arsenic scare with those though so I'm not sure I'd go that route personally... even though I'm sure they've sorted that out by now)

 

[Kage76]

dont forget BM tastes incredibly sweet- i really don't think they put the sugars in there to make it more palatable- they put it in there to make sure the calorie needs of a newborn are met. Same goes for the oils that are in formula.

 

[Noelle610]

I'd have to research it more but yeah. I know what you mean... but thinking about it, carbs are essential really, babies need a lot of energy and they need it in a simple form that their bodies can easily use. So aside from making it taste sweet and appealing to babies, it also has a nutritional purpose (carbs = energy).

ETA - does this help at all? https://www.infantformula.org/news-...s/IFC-Statement-Carbohydrates-Infant-Formulas

ETA2 - also, I have heard that there are some organic formula brands that have brown rice syrup instead of corn syrup. I'm not sure which brands though! Sorry. But I know they do exist. Somewhere. lol. (There was some arsenic scare with those though so I'm not sure I'd go that route personally... even though I'm sure they've sorted that out by now)

That's exactly what I needed to see! I think I sometimes forget that babies have different nutritional needs than adults.

 

[vintage67]

Yep Lady Bee, I was thinking the same thing; that the Earth's Best Organic company was just phrasing "corn syrup solids" in a different way.

As a diabetic, I just have a gut reaction to the words "corn syrup." For most of the population, this probaby isn't an issue.