June 8, 2020
“The Sugar Association has filed a citizen petition with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requesting the agency take steps to bring transparency in the labeling of sweeteners in food products and stop misleading claims.
The petition stems from FDA’s complete remodel of nutrition labels, first published in 2016.
“It was a fairly comprehensive reform,” said Courtney Gaine, president and CEO of the Sugar Association.
But the sugar industry started to realize there was a big void when it came to artificial sweeteners, she said.
Lack of transparency regarding sweeteners in food products has always been an issue, particularly in children’s products. But the issue grew when FDA’s labeling reform led to a proliferation of products with alternative sweeteners, she said.
One of the reasons FDA wanted to overhaul food labels was to include “added sugars” on the nutrition label.”
Real the full article at: https://www.capitalpress.com/nation_world/agriculture/sugar-industry-calls-for-stricter-sweetener-labeling/article_b6f55d90-a9a7-11ea-9414-efcd705eaf05.html
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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