Washington, D.C. – Today, the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) took issue with the Sugar Association’s attack on foods and beverages sweetened with corn sugar. The Sugar Association called on reporters to use the term “HFCS-sweetened beverage” in lieu of “sugar-sweetened beverages.”
The Center for Consumer Freedom is running a sustained, public education campaign to clear the air of urban myths and conjecture regarding high fructose corn syrup, also known as corn sugar. The American Dietetic Association—which boasts a membership of about 50,000 dietitians—stated that “high fructose corn syrup…is nutritionally equivalent to sucrose [table sugar]. Once absorbed into the blood stream, the two sweeteners are indistinguishable.” And the American Medical Association likewise agrees that the two sweeteners are processed by the body similarly.
“When it comes to nutrition, a sugar is a sugar, period,” said Center for Consumer Freedom Senior Research Analyst J. Justin Wilson. “Whether it is sugar from beets, cane, or corn, sugars used to sweeten foods and beverages have the same number of calories. The Sugar Association only cares about one thing: selling more sugar. And if it means playing confusing word games to do it; it appears they’ll be comfortable creating that confusion for the consumer.”
High fructose corn syrup is the sweetener of choice for much of the food industry for a variety of reasons, including its ability to keep foods moist and preserve shelf-life. At the same time, the sugar industry has successfully lobbied Congress to raise the price of sugar to as much as two or three times what the rest of the world pays. Apparently they would like to sell more at these inflated prices, which would increase food costs without increasing value.
