Papa John’s Removes High Fructose Corn Syrup from Menu

After decades of being under public scrutiny about serving empty calories to their customers, it is no wonder why many fast food companies have shifted their operations to eliminate unhealthy food ingredients. From McDonald’s kale salad to Chipotle’s sofrito and black bean salad, it seems that fast food restaurants are trying to serve healthier options. The infamous pizza delivery brand, Papa John’s, has followed suit by eliminating the use of high fructose corn syrup from their menu.

This national pizza place is pushing towards creating better and healthy pizza by removing one ingredient from its menu–high fructose corn syrup–on all its food items. This means that the pizza topping, sauce, and even desserts won’t contain this menacing sweetener. This is the first pizza delivery company in the United States to adopt this policy.

 

What is High Fructose Corn Syrup?

High fructose corn syrup is found in just about any kind of processed foods. It is a common sweetener used in creating soda as well as fruit-flavored drinks. It is also used in manufacturing different types of condiments such as ketchup, mustard, and other dipping sauces. This kind of sweetener is made from corn starch that has been converted into fructose. As a sweetener, it is often compared to table sugar. However, manufacturers are more attracted to it because of its low price point.

Excess consumption of high fructose corn syrup can contribute to unwanted calories that are linked to different types of health problems including obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high triglyceride levels, and heart diseases. Thus, the American Heart Association recommends only 6 teaspoons of added sugar for women and 9 teaspoons for men.

The decision for Papa John’s to completely remove high fructose corn syrup is big news to consumers who are looking for fast food chains that serve healthier food options.

 

What’s Next for Papa John’s

Chief Ingredient Officer Sean Muldoon noted that the company is always striving to provide foods made from high-quality ingredients, not only to improve the dining experience of customers but also to uphold their social responsibility.

This is the reason why the company is not only focused on the removal of the high fructose corn syrup in their menu but it is also looking for other ways to serve natural and healthy foods to its clients. For instance, the company is also now looking into using chicken that is raised without any antibiotics. The company has also stopped using fillers, MSG, artificial flavors, BHA, and hydrogenated oils in making their food. They are also looking into creating foods that will cater to their vegetarian and vegan customers.

Hopefully, the dedication of the company to produce better foods by using healthy ingredients will become a signal for other fast food restaurants as consumers continue to connect the dots between food and their health

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