“Courtney Gaine, Ph.D., R.D., President and CEO for the Sugar Association in Washington, D.C., discusses consumer education, health trends and the evolving role of sugar in baking.
…“Advocating for evidence-based policies about sugar and educating key audiences has never been more important, and it has never required more commitment and investment of time and resources. There are a lot of tightly held beliefs that have brought us to where we are today, and inserting facts into the dialogue that challenge those beliefs is difficult”.
…“The US government has a very full policy agenda that unfortunately seems to continue the same outdated approach of singling out added sugars without addressing consumers’ overall calorie intake and diet quality. The Sugar Association provides comments and participates in public consultations, providing evidence that supports focusing nutrition policy on the top sources of added sugars (e.g. sugar-sweetened beverages) that do not provide positive nutrients or contribute to improving diet quality.”
“Other sources of added sugars (e.g., whole grain breads and cereals, sugar-sweetened yoghurt) are associated with improved intake of positive nutrients and overall higher diet quality. Understanding different sources of added sugars and their contributions to diets is also a key element of our resources for health professionals, educators, and consumers themselves. The Sugar Association provides a wide range of lesson plans for educators – from lessons on photosynthesis in sugar beets and sugar cane to facts about sugar intake – with options tailored to different grades and skill levels.””
Read the full article here: https://in-bakery.com/big-interview-courtney-gaine/
March 22, 2026
"The Feeding the Economy report affirms the vital role food and agriculture play in our nation’s economic resilience and food security. Commercial bakers have long been proud partners to American agriculture, sourcing 85 percent of their core ingredients from domestic farmers....Sponsoring organizations from the food and agriculture industries, who helped make the 2026 study possible, provided commentary on this year’s findings. The full list of sponsoring organizations includes: ...The Sugar Association"
March 10, 2026
"Courtney Gaine, president and CEO of the Sugar Association, a scientific body that supports the U.S. sugar industry, told the USDA Outlook Forum that the school meal standards taking effect next year might prohibit added sugars in kindergarten meals and could significantly restrict them in other grades. That change alone would cut sugar demand by over 130,000 short tons. The industry faces additional pressure from rising GLP-1 weight-loss drug usage, which jumped from 12% in May 2024 to 18% in November 2025, though Gaine cautioned it remains "premature to assess the impact."
March 3, 2026
"Gaine added, "There is no data to support all this." She said the focus on added sugar is often politically motivated, but food groups have not pushed back on the MAHA pressure. There is a lot of fear of retaliation, and for good reason they have not wanted to push back publicly," Gaine said. "I think it’s going to demand a coordinated, really coordinated, pushing back. Any effort up (until) now has been to go along to get along, and I don’t know if that’s going to work."
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