Fructose levels in high fructose corn syrup sweetened drinks
What it found
Fructose made up 55.58% of total sugars in 80 fizzy drinks sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, matching industry standards.
The two labs testing them differed by just 0.1%.
What they found
Fructose matched standards
Fructose made up 55.58% of total sugars across all 160 measurements. This matches the 55% minimum set by government rules and industry data sheets.
Labs agreed closely
The two labs got nearly identical results, differing by only 0.1% on average. The type of drink and how old it was did not change the fructose amount.
Total sugars consistent
Total sugar amounts were very similar within each drink category. The amounts matched what is printed on nutrition labels and met US federal rules.
Earlier concerns explained
A past study reported higher fructose levels, but it used a test method meant for honey rather than fizzy drinks. That method can miss some sugars and make fructose look higher than it really is.
What the authors conclude
- They confirmed that the fructose share in these drinks matches published industry standards and government rules.
- They say earlier worries about extra fructose likely came from using the wrong testing method for fizzy drinks.
- They note that strong evidence from controlled trials shows the body handles this sweetener much like regular table sugar.
How it was done
Some earlier work suggested fizzy drinks might contain more fructose than labels claim, which worried shoppers trying to follow diet advice. The authors wanted to check this using a verified testing method built for carbonated drinks.
Two independent labs tested 80 randomly bought fizzy drinks from three big US brands, covering cola, lemon lime and pepper flavors. They used a verified liquid separation method to measure the sugars, making 160 total measurements across drinks aged 9 to 331 days.
What it can’t tell you
- This work measured what is in the drinks, not what happens in the body after drinking them.
- It cannot show whether this sweetener affects weight or health differently than other sugars.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- The Ohio State University, USA
The paper
- Title
- Fructose content and composition of commercial HFCS-sweetened carbonated beverages
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- White JS, Hobbs LJ, Fernandez S (2015). Fructose content and composition of commercial HFCS-sweetened carbonated beverages. International journal of obesity (2005). doi:10.1038/ijo.2014.73Free full textPubMed 24798032DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error