US sugar industry weighs impact from new dietary guidelines regulation

Courtney Gaine, president and CEO of the Sugar Association, a scientific body which 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 significantly restrict them in other grades. That change alone would cut sugar demand by over 130,000 short tons. “Right now it is kind of a storm, a lot of disinformation, a lot of fear,” Gaine said, adding that sugar appears to be “the low-lying fruit” for regulators despite, according to her, a lack of evidence that restrictions will improve health. 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.” “If you are going to have some policy, you should have evidence that it is going to work,” Gaine said, noting that while the “Make America Healthy Again” movement polls well, scientific evidence supporting sugar restrictions remains elusive.