It’s Official: FDA Recognizes Nothing is Added to Real Sugar

June 18, 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s issuance of its final guidance regarding the labeling of added sugars for single-ingredient sweeteners, Dr. Courtney Gaine, President and CEO of the Sugar Association, issued the following statement:

“It is a relief for the sugar industry to finally have a path forward with labeling bags and boxes of sugar.  We are certainly pleased FDA updated this guidance to reflect that there is no sugar added to real sugar and that the inclusion of an added sugars line for sugar would have mislead consumers.  However, we are concerned that the percent daily value declaration for single-ingredient sweeteners may be confusing and should have been consumer-tested before finalizing this guidance. We have no idea if this information serves as a constructive tool that enables people to follow the Dietary Guidelines and is not information that is misleading.

“We support the way FDA is handling cranberry products. It makes a lot of sense to permit factual statements explaining sugar’s role in these products which, without added sugar, would otherwise be unpalatable. However, there certainly are other products with health benefits (i.e. yogurts and whole grain and fiber-rich cereals) where sugar plays a similar role in palatability that would also benefit from such a disclaimer. Often times, comparable products in these categories are sweetened with sugar substitutes.”

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The Sugar Association, founded in 1943, is the scientific voice of the U.S. sugar industry. The association is committed to making a difference by continuously supporting scientific research and sharing its knowledge that there’s more to sugar by increasing consumer understanding of and confidence in the role that sugar plays in a nutritious, balanced and enjoyable diet. The Sugar Association represents nearly 12,000 beet and cane sugar growers, as well as processors and refiners of sugar. The U.S. sugar industry generates 142,000 jobs in 22 states and contributes $20 billion to the economy annually. For more information, visit www.sugar.org, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and connect with us on Facebook.

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Chris Hogan
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