If there is a number-one food villain right now, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is it.HFCS debuted in the 1970s and became the favourite of the processed-food and drink industry because it tasted similar to sugar, but was cheaper to produce and more stable during food processing. Anything to increase profits and if it turns out to be bad for you, well, is you to catch, we gone. As its use has increased, so have levels of obesity and related health problems. Is that related?HFCS does not occur naturally. It is an industrial product extracted from corn stalks. It is ubiquitous in processed food products like juices, sweet drinks, ketchup, yogurt, bread, cereals, ice cream, condiments and even cough syrup.