“Bagels. Pasta. Bread. Freshly baked vanilla cake. Ice cream. All of these are examples of humanity’s best friend and worst nightmare: Sugar.
…sugar holds a rather negative reputation… but why?
Firstly, What Even Is Sugar? This was the first question I harassed Google (and Google Scholar, his cousin) with. Given the vast amount of sources on the internet, it took me a while to narrow down a couple true answers. To put it simply, sugar is sucrose: the simple carbohydrate we love and that is produced naturally in all plants, including fruits, veggies, and even nuts (The Sugar Association). This would include foods such as carrots, walnuts, apples, blueberries, and even lettuce! Of course, the amount of sugar these foods contain will vary depending on their genetics (yes, your apples have DNA just like you do) but that’s something to not be super concerned about – and I’ll explain why later on. Aside from being found in everything carb-related, “Sugar’s chemical structure contains just two molecules: one molecule of glucose bound to one molecule of fructose” (The Sugar Association).
Listen, this article isn’t me telling you sugar is bad or that it’s good. Sugar is a carbohydrate in its most basic form, and it’s an essential molecule that we need to consume to live. That being said, there is a difference in the quality of carb found in a chocolate-chip sea salt cookie and that of a bowl of oatmeal, even if they are (somehow) the same in caloric density…Listening to your body, understanding moderation, and understanding that food is never the bad guy is the kind of relationship that can build a healthy lifestyle that will last for years to come.”
Read the full article here: https://www.newhaven.edu/news/blog/2025/beatrice-glaviano-talks-sugar.php
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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