Corn Refiners Association Responds to The Lawsuit Filed in the Central District of California U.S. District Court

WASHINGTON, April 28, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Please attribute the following statement to Audrae Erickson, president, Corn Refiners Association.

"Sugar is sugar. High fructose corn syrup and sugar are nutritionally and metabolically equivalent; experts have supported this claim, including the American Dietetic Association and the Center for Science in the Public Interest.*

"The name 'corn sugar' more accurately describes this sweetener and helps clarify food products labeling for manufacturers and consumers alike. The Corn Refiners Association petitioned the Food & Drug Administration in September 2010 to more succinctly and accurately describe what this natural ingredient is and where it comes from—corn.

"High fructose corn syrup makes many healthy foods palatable and affordable for American consumers.  It is disappointing that another sweetener would sue the competition for its own gain – and stand in the way of consumer clarity about added sugars in the diet.

"Simply, this lawsuit is without merit, and we will vigorously defend our right to petition the FDA to clear up consumer confusion about the name.

"We stand by the message in our ads and the science behind it."

* Sources:

The American Dietetic Association: "High fructose corn syrup ... is nutritionally equivalent to sucrose. Both sweeteners contain the same number of calories (4 per gram) and consist of about equal parts of fructose and glucose. Once absorbed into the blood stream, the two sweeteners are indistinguishable."  Hot Topics paper on High Fructose Corn Syrup, December 2008

Michael Jacobson, Ph.D., Executive Director, Center for Science in Public Interest: "The bottom line is there isn't a shred of evidence that high-fructose corn syrup is nutritionally any different from sugar." USA Today, March 2, 2010

The CRA is the national trade association representing the corn refining industry in the United States.  CRA and its predecessors have served this important segment of American agribusiness since 1913.  Corn refiners manufacture sweeteners, ethanol, starch, bioproducts, corn oil, and feed products from corn components such as starch, oil, protein, and fiber.  

Visit us on the Web at www.corn.org.

SOURCE Corn Refiners Association