BEAUMONT Texas The 200-unit Jason's Deli said it has eliminated high fructose corn syrup from its food and is surveying customers about doing the same for its soft drinks.
The chain said it removed high fructose corn syrup, or HFCS, from its breads, dressings, desserts and soft-serve ice cream.
“We have accomplished the rare hat trick for a restaurant chain with hundreds of units — eliminating artificial trans fats, MSG [monosodium glutamate, a flavor enhancer] and high fructose corn syrup in food,” Rusty Coco, co-owner and executive vice president of Jason’s Deli, said in a statement.
“Even though this was an enormous undertaking, as high fructose corn syrup is pervasive in the food system, we found that removing HFCS actually makes the food taste better,” Coco said.
Dr. Richard Johnson, author of “The Sugar Fix” and a professor at the University of Colorado, said the move by Jason's Deli "should translate into healthier foods that carry much less risk for causing obesity and possibly diabetes."
Coco shares the details of the HFCS removal in a 90-second video on the company’s website, www.jasonsdeli.com. Also on the website, customers can vote and provide input about whether Jason's Deli should remove HFCS from sodas in the restaurants.
