The four major U.S. corn syrup makers are raising prices at a time of slowing demand. Corn sweetener manufacturers, like Archer Daniels Midland and Cargill, sent letters to customers earlier this month seeking to lock in prices for 2017. High-fructose corn syrup, or HFCS, is trading at the highest in U.S. Department of Agriculture records dating back to 1994, even as U.S. consumption of carbonated soft drinks, which accounts for two-thirds or more of HFCS usage, sank to a three-decade low. The corn syrup manufacturers, which make up the Corn Refiners Association, are seeking to raise prices by a minimum of $1.50 to $2.50 per hundredweight, down from increases of $3.50 to $4.50 last year. The companies, according to the letters, were seeking to wrap up contracts extending into 2017 by the end of August.
Higher prices have prompted some food makers to consider shifting to sugar, especially beet sugar, which is generally cheaper than cane sugar. Food manufacturers are also facing growing consumer demand for so-called clean label products that are free of ingredients such as HFCS, according to industry analysts.
Source: NAFB News Service