Corn Refiners Association on the FDA denial of petition

Rebecca Prescott1 Jun 2012 (Updated 12 Feb 2013)

The Corn Refiners Association (CRA) has released the following statement in response to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rejection of an industry petition to rename high-​fructose corn syrup as ‘corn sugar’ on nutritional labels.

Audrae Erickson, president, CRA said:

The Corn Refiners Association (CRA) works every day to educate consumers about high fructose corn syrup, particularly that it is nutritionally equivalent to other sugars.

The FDA denied our petition to use the term corn sugar to describe high fructose corn syrup on narrow, technical grounds. They did not address or question the overwhelming scientific evidence that high fructose corn syrup is a form of sugar and is nutritionally the same as other sugars.

The fact remains-which FDA did not challenge-that the vast majority of American consumers are confused about HFCS. Consumers have the right to know what is in their foods and beverages in simple, clear language that enables them to make well-informed dietary decisions.

In light of the FDA’s technical decision, it is important to note that the agency continues to consider HFCS as a form of added sugar, and requires that it be identified to consumers in the category of sugars on the Nutrition Facts Panel on foods and beverages.

Source: CRA

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