The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has rejected a Corn Refiners Association (CRA) petition urging the authorization of “corn sugar” as an alternate name for high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). According to FDA’s May 30, 2012, response, CRA had asked the agency (i) “to amend the generally recognized as safe (GRAS) affirmation regulation for HFCS (21 CFR 168.11) to designate ‘corn sugar’ as an optional name for HFCS”; (ii) “to eliminate ‘corn sugar’ as an alternate name for dextrose”; and (iii) “to replace all references to ‘corn sugar’ with ‘dextrose’” in the GRAS regulations for corn sugar (21 CFR 184.1857). The trade association had apparently argued, among other things, that consumers confused by the name “high-fructose corn syrup” “incorrectly believe that HFCS is significantly higher in calories, fructose and sweetness than sugar.” In rejecting the petition, FDA countered that its regulations define sugar as “a solid, dried, and crystallized food; whereas…
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“There are no longer any viable reasons to maintain outdated nutrition labeling standards for sugar,” opines Jennifer Pomeranz, director of legal initiatives at Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, in this article urging the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to revise sugar labeling regulations to better inform and protect consumers. Citing recent developments such as recommendations by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the American Heart Association to limit sugar consumption, “new and robust” science suggesting high-sugar intake is detrimental to human health, and the Institute of Medicine’s call for front-of-packaging labeling for sugar, Pomeranz maintains that FDA’s reluctance to require manufacturers to disclose sugar and added sugar is based on old science and obsolete concerns. “The need for more information relevant to sugar on food labels is long overdue,” she writes. “The government can currently require more information pertinent to total sugar consistent with the public…
A recent study has claimed that rats fed a diet high in fructose had more difficulty navigating a maze than those that also consumed omega-3 fatty acids, thereby raising questions about the impact of sugar consumption on cognition. Rahul Agrawal and Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, “’Metabolic Syndrome’ in the brain: deficiency in omega-3 fatty acid exacerbates dysfunctions in insulin receptor signaling and cognition,” The Journal of Physiology, May 2012. University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), researchers for six weeks supplied two groups of rats with a fructose solution instead of drinking water while supplementing one group’s rat chow with flaxseed oil and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). According to the results, the rats in the fructose-only group were not only slower than their counterparts during the maze task, but their brain tissues exhibited an increased resistance to insulin. “The second group of rats navigated the maze much faster than the rats that did not receive omega-3…
“Ready-to-eat cereals are the fourth biggest source of added sugars in Americans’ diets, behind sugary drinks, desserts, and candy,” opine Center for Science in the Public Interest Director of Nutrition Policy Margo Wootan and New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center Director David Ludwig in this article, disputing claims that children who eat sugary cereals for breakfast are less likely to be overweight than those who do not eat breakfast at all. According to Wootan and Ludwig, the research supporting such claims “cannot prove cause and effect, and most have been funded or conducted by the industry.” They argue instead that manufacturers should market their lower-sugar offerings to children as well as adults, citing studies conducted by Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity that show such products “are well accepted by children” even though cereals targeted to youth typically “contain 85 percent more sugars and 65 percent less…
Anti-sugar crusader Robert Lustig was among the scientists participating in an April 1, 2012, “60 Minutes” interview claiming that studies indicate that sugar is toxic, addictive and can lead to obesity, Type II diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. Lustig, an endocrinologist at the University of California, San Francisco, has written extensively about the topic, including an article titled “The Toxic Truth About Sugar” featured in Issue 425 of this Update. Asserting that sugar is as “equally toxic” as high-fructose corn syrup, Ludwig recommended that men daily consume no more than 150 calories of added sugars and women no more than 100, which is less than the amount in one can of soda. “Ultimately this is a public health crisis,” Lustig said in reference to what he deems the excessive amount of sugar in many processed foods. “When it’s a public health crisis, you have to do big things and you…
The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) has announced a public consultation regarding draft commercial codes that would prohibit the advertising of foods high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) during TV programs where more than 50 percent of viewers are younger than age 18. According to a March 30, 2012, BAI press release, the consultation considers new drafts of the General Commercial Communications Code and Children’s Commercial Communications Code, the latter of which currently makes commercials, sponsorships and other product placements “of particular interest to children, or those broadcast during children’s program[s],… responsible in their messaging and portrayal of food and drink to those aged under 18.” Drafted after receiving more than 226 submissions from a previous consultation, the proposed codes would specifically regulate advertisements for HFSS products as well as adopt a “nutrient profiling model” “to assess the nutritional profile of food and non-alcoholic drink.” In particular, the draft…
Scottish Health Minister Michael Matheson has reportedly written to U.K. Health Secretary Andrew Lansley, urging him to support a ban on all TV advertising for foods high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) before the 9 p.m. watershed. According to media sources, Matheson cited OfCom studies allegedly indicating that, while children’s broadcasting adheres to strict advertising restrictions, young viewers were still seeing ads for HFSS foods during programs intended for older audiences such as talent shows. “Broadcast advertising influences the choices made by children and can shape their attitudes to food as they grow into adulthood,” Matheson was quoted as saying. “Tackling obesity and encouraging people to make healthier life choices is one of the most important things we can do to improve the health of our nation.” Although the initiative has since been lauded by groups like the National Heart Forum and British Medical Association, it has also drawn…
The U.K.’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has censured Kellogg Marketing and Sales Co. (UK), Ltd. for falsely claiming on its website, in relation to promotions for children’s breakfast cereals, that “A panel of world health experts recently reviewed all the scientific evidence and concluded that a high sugar intake is not related to obesity, or the development of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure or cancer.” ASA acknowledged that Kellogg’s had based the claim on “credible scientific evidence and review,” but noted that the company’s wording, without qualifiers, did not account for contrary evidence and “implied there was absolute certainty about the claims being made,” which is not the case. Because Kellogg’s had “referred in particular to a high sugar intake,” ASA concluded that the claim was misleading given the number of authoritative government cautions about limiting the quantity of sugary foods consumed. The company apparently assured…
The Council of the European Union (EU) has adopted a directive banning the use of added sugars in any fruit juices sold in Europe. According to a March 8, 2012, Council press release, the new directive “incorporates the current industry practice of not adding sugars to fruit juices” and will phase out “no added sugars” labeling after a transitional period, at the end of which “all fruit juices present on the market are not allowed to contain added sugars anymore.” The directive also addresses labeling for fruit nectars, which evidently cannot be made without added sweeteners; adds tomatoes “to the list of fruits used for fruit juice production”; and confirms that product names must indicate the fruits included in the juice. Expected to take effect by the beginning of June, the directive gives member states 18 months after enactment to transpose its provisions into national law. “The new rules will apply…
The American Heart Association, Center for Science in the Public Interest and Environmental Working Group (EWG) have issued a February 23, 2012, letter to the Food and Drug Administration, requesting that the agency compel food labels to denote “added sugars” separately on ingredient lists. Signed by 11 additional organizations, the letter cites national survey data suggesting “that the usual intake of added sugars for Americans is 22.2 teaspoons per day, which is the equivalent of 355 calories, despite the recommended daily limit that women get only 100 daily calories and men only 150 from added sugars.” It therefore claims that breaking out added sugars “like high fructose corn syrup, sucrose and corn sweetener” on food labels will help consumers better evaluate their purchases. Under the coalition’s proposal, food labels would consider the term “added sugars” “as a single food ingredient with a parenthetical list [by descending weight] of the specific…
