Heinz is already succeeding in making a sweeter tomato. This reduces the need for corn syrup in their ketchup. What a great idea. By reducing the need for corn syrup, Heinz limits itself from the increases in corn syrup prices.
And how much ketchup are we talking about? From the Heinz website: “Each year, Heinz sells 650 million bottles of ketchup. And, for those on the go, Heinz makes 11 billion packets of ketchup and dressings each year…that’s at least two packets for every person on earth.” That’s a lot of tomatoes and a lot of corn syrup.
What does this mean for alternative energy?
Expect other prices to go up, or for less corn syrup to be used in our food products. I must assume that the price of creating and growing a sweeter tomato is cheaper than buying that extra corn syrup. It is probably also healthier too since I have never heard a good nutritious word about corn syrup.
Also, what other crops can be made sweeter? Would some actually have a higher percent of sugar than corn and thus be a better source for ethanol? I would think that the sweetest sweet potato could have more sugar or even the lowly sugar beet could be supercharged with the right breeding.
Increased Ethanol production will have ramifications far and wide across the economic spectrum. What will happen to all the pancake syrup made out of corn syrup? Will real maple syrup become cost competitive again? I know maple syrup is more expensive but compared to Aunt Jemima’s Original Syrup which is mostly corn syrup, is its price going down?
In what other parts of our world will the increase in corn syrup prices affect us? How will everything else change? I think it is better for us to eat less corn syrup, not that thinking so has slowed my consumption in any way, and I think more and more uses will be found for all of these biologic raw materials. Companies such as National Starch and Chemical will always be researching new methods and products for our biological raw materials especially as oil and natural gas give out or as its price makes it no longer cost-effective.
