Elliott

they're doing that to 'mee too' the soda pop industry.

The development and utilization of of high fructose corn sweeteners has taken on a market for what historically was cane and beet sugar.

The medical argument of one over the other is, from a study point-point-of-view, is somewhat of a deadlock-  some studies suggest that HFCS is less healthy than traditional cane or beet sugars, while others bunk it.  Some suggest that while the actual sweetners' compounts have no health difference, SOME types affect our bodies in such a way that causes higher consumption.  Others suggest that the more 'complex' composition of HFCS causes it to digest differently (at two different rates, for the glucose and fructose absorb differently)... and as a result, cause a greater disruption of hormonal response and thus, insulin release by the pancreas.

I believe the reality is somewhere in the middle- that they probably DO have differing impacts, but the impact is more likely to vary based on an individual person's physiology and genetic makeup.  Example being, that one person may react to HFCS in one manner, where another may react to cane or beet sugar in another way.  This concept, if true, would certainly fortify the argument that ALL studies are both correct, and incorrect- they suggest that something is afoot, but that the studies done were not adequately delimited in control to illustrate true impact.

From a production standpoint, HFCS rose in popularity for economic reasons... it was more economical for food processors to obtain, against a more expensive cane or beet extract, and also transport, store, and use the HFCS because of mechanical circumstances that are more difficult with cane and beet production.  Under both umbrellas, lie the fact that subsidization and international foriegn trade policies artificially modulate a market for sweeteners.  The resurgance of cane sugar in soda pop, is simply just a function of supply and demand... sugar was cheap once, and then it got expensive.  Now it's getting cheaper again, so what do they do?  Find a way to advertise it.

In the end, for beer brewing, the HFCS is basically a fuel for fermentation, and very little, if any, resides in the end product.  They are, nonetheless, 'riding the wave' of public relations and politics.