I, alongside many other Americans, enjoy drinking frozen carbonated beverages. I have drank both the Slurpee brand from 7-Eleven and the Icee brand from The Icee Company (which is not limited to any single location unlike the Slurpee brand). When I read the ingredients for both various Slurpee and Icee flavors, I was disappointed to see high-fructose corn syrup is the sweetener used. I am sure other people who work to avoid high-fructose corn syrup would also be disappointed or are disappointed if they read or have read the ingredients list.

Not many of us who drink frozen carbonated beverages want to have to travel outside of the United States just to enjoy such beverages without high-fructose corn syrup. We would be happy to have more locally accessible sucrose-sweetened frozen treats. We encourage 7-Eleven, Inc. and The Icee Company to make Slurpees and Icees respectively sweetened with sucrose (pure cane sugar; table sugar) accessible to American customers.

While high-fructose corn syrup is cheaper than sucrose and may financially benefit the corn industry, there are health concerns with the sweetener that more people, including the people at 7-Eleven, Inc. and The Icee Company should take into consideration. According to an article from WebMD, too much fructose can raise the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which occurs when too many fats are stored in liver cells. Too much fat buildup, can, consequently, lead to steatohepatitis, which causes liver inflammation. The wide of hexokinase enzymes, which are essential for the production of glucose-6-phosphate and glycolytic enzymes, meaning every cell of the organism metabolizes glucose; however, fructose is not as easily phosphorylated by the hexokinases, causing only the intestine, liver, and kidneys to digest it (1) High-fructose corn syrup consumption can also contribute to obesity and diabetes. (2)