ND10041110

Title: Setting the Record Straight: High Fructose Corn Syrup

Description: A new website provides background information for consumers and the press on why the Corn Refiners Association has petitioned the FDA to change HFCA to ?corn sugar? and ultimately plain ?sugar.?

Page Content: WASHINGTON ? High fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a man-made sweetener used in thousands of grocery store products, has a serious image problem. Consumers are avoiding it. Food companies are taking it out of the products they make. Some supermarkets have banned it. Demand for this highly processed ingredient is falling fast.

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The Corn Refiners Association has petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to change HFCA to ?corn sugar? and ultimately plain ?sugar.? Three years ago, the association began a $50 million dollar marketing campaign labeling HFCS as ?corn sugar.? A group of sugar farmers and refiners sued the association, alleging that the name change will confuse consumers and harm the sugar industry. Earlier last month, the Corn Refiners Association filed a motion to dismiss the sugar farmers? case, and U.S. District Judge Consuelo Marshall is currently considering the matter.

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While the legal decision is pending, Citizens for Health has launched FoodIdentityTheft.com to alert and inform Americans about misleading labeling on many food, beverage and health products. ?Every day we see stories about food makers trying to pull a fast one on consumers,? said Jim Turner, chairman of Citizens for Health, in a press release. ?Resources like FoodIdentityTheft.com are necessary to ensure that consumers are aware of the deceptive practices some corporations are using.?

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FoodIdentityTheft.com provides current information on many vital issues, beginning with the controversy surrounding the proposed name change of high fructose corn syrup. ?Many consumers believe that the U.S. government will protect us from false advertising or stop corporations from making unproven claims about their products,? said FoodIdentityTheft.com Senior Editor Linda Bonvie. ?But the truth is, corporations have a huge influence in Washington. We as consumers have to protect ourselves, stay informed, and tell our legislators and government agencies that we won't accept being lied to.?

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Bonvie also pointed out that the site would not advocate the benefits or decry the harm of this product. ?We simply believe there is no valid reason for the name change. It would only confuse consumers and allow food makers to conceal the identity of this product on ingredients labels,? she said.

Content Subject: Marketing/Merchandising

Formatted Article Date: October 4, 2011

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