Why is there high fructose corn syrup in my salsa?

I bought some store brand thick & chunky salsa. It tasted a little different from what I'm used to so I casually perused the ingredients as I munched. Imagine my shock to find high fructose corn syrup hidden amongst the list! Why in the world do you need corn syrup to make salsa? Is it just me or is this becoming the unavoidable ingredient these days? Unless you make absolutely everything you eat from scratch, high fructose corn syrup is in almost every prepared or semi-prepared food imaginable (or unimaginable in this case). What is the reason for this? Does it serve any purpose for the manufacturer to add corn syrup to foods? Especially foods, like salsa, that are not traditionally sweet?