“Two dairy groups and the Sugar Association expressed disappointment when the US Department of Agriculture on April 9 issued its final rule on changes to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). The Sugar Association, Washington, cautioned that added sugars limited on individual products could reduce access to nutrient-dense foods associated with better overall diet quality.
“The Sugar Association supports the DGA (Dietary Guidelines for Americans) recommendation to limit added sugars to 10% of total calories in a total dietary pattern,” said Courtney Gaine, PhD, president of the Sugar Association. “However, added sugars limits on individual foods are not consistent with that approach and contradict scientific evidence showing that grains and flavored dairy sweetened with sugar are not associated with adiposity and, in fact, are associated with improved nutrient adequacy.”
A focus on added sugars consumption alone has failed to address obesity in the United States, according to the association, which pointed out that added sugar consumption has decreased by 18% since 1999 while obesity increased by 44% in children and 37% in adults over the same time.”
Read the full article here: https://www.bakingbusiness.com/articles/61292-final-wic-rule-disappoints-dairy-sugar-groups
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."
© 2026 The Sugar Association, Inc. All rights reserved.
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