Press Release Archive 2009

Study on HMF and High Fructose Corn Syrup Flawed

August 27, 2009 - The Corn Refiners Association (CRA) today challenged the relevance and accuracy of the results of a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry asserting that high fructose corn syrup, when heated to certain temperatures, forms a substance toxic to honeybees known as Hydroxymethylfurfural or HMF.

Recent News Reports of Sweetener Reformulations Raise Questions about Motivations

June 30, 2009 - Recent announcements by Starbucks and other brands that they will remove high fructose corn syrup from certain products are being called into question in news articles by several experts and respected journalists. These articles have poked holes in companies’ marketing efforts and put forth scientifically substantiated facts about sweeteners commonly used in foods.

Summer is Here! Top Five Tips For Making Your Child’s Summer Eating Habits Healthier

June 23, 2009 - At the first sign of summer, children dive into the pool, head to the park, and grab food on the way out. In doing so, they may also leave nutrition behind; nutrition essential to fuel the energy required for summertime activities.

Scientists Say Consumers Confused About Sugars: USDA Expert Provides Clarity on Sweeteners

June 8, 2009 - Three top researchers corrected inaccuracies and misunderstandings concerning high fructose corn syrup’s impact on the American diet.

Wake Up & Smell the Coffee: Starbucks’ Plan to Remove High Fructose Corn Syrup from Baked Goods Not Such A Grande Idea

June 3, 2009 - News that Starbucks plans to remove high fructose corn syrup from its baked goods later this month as part of its "Real Food. Simply Delicious" campaign (Reuters, June 2) may be misleading to consumers by implying that products sweetened with other sweeteners, such as sugar, are healthier.

Do Fad Diets Really Work?

April 30, 2009 - Spring. It’s the time of year when we shed our
unhealthy winter habits and renew the weight-loss vows we made back in January in hopes of seeing the numbers on the scale drop. Each year, millions of Americans follow the latest and greatest diet trends and widely publicized information in our quest to lose weight and manage our diets.

Experts Lay to Rest Long-Held Misconceptions about HFCS

April 27, 2009 - A supplement to be published in the June issue of the Journal of Nutrition encourages the scientific community and the general public to stop demonizing high fructose corn syrup as the culprit of obesity and to rethink the myths about high fructose corn syrup’s impact on the American diet.

Landmark NBC News Nutrition Report: “There Is Indeed Little Difference Between High Fructose Corn Syrup and Table Sugar”

April 23, 2009 - NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams ran a report, “The sweet truth about high fructose corn syrup,” by Chief Science Correspondent Robert Bazell. In the report, Mr. Bazell noted, “Top nutrition scientists say there is indeed little difference between the two products.”

Proposed Florida Legislation on High Fructose Corn Syrup Is Unnecessary and Costly

April 17, 2009 - An amendment added to an appropriations bill in the Florida House of Representatives to ban certain foods containing high fructose corn syrup from the Florida School Food Program is unnecessary, potentially costly, and would result in no nutritional value or reduction of caloric intake for Florida’s school children.

Tests Find No Quantifiable Mercury Levels in High Fructose Corn Syrup

March 18, 2009 - No quantifiable levels of mercury were found according to the independent lab Eurofins Central Analytical Laboratory, whose work and results were reviewed by Woodhall Stopford, MD, MSPH, of Duke University Medical Center, one of the nation’s leading experts in mercury contamination.

Pure Fructose Frequently Confused with High Fructose Corn Syrup

March 3, 2009 - As researchers continue to examine the role of sweeteners in the diet, it’s important that people understand the differences among various ingredients used in scientific studies, according to the Corn Refiners Association (CRA). Interchanging two distinctly different ingredients, such as pure fructose and high fructose corn syrup, creates factually incorrect conclusions and misleads consumers.

No Reason to Switch from High Fructose Corn Syrup to Sugar

Februrary 25, 2009 - The Corn Refiners Association today said there is no reason to switch from high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) to sugar in response to recent media coverage surrounding the anticipated re-launch of certain products.

HFCS Mercury Study Seriously Flawed and Outdated: Fails to Meet Standards for Scientific Research

Februrary 3, 2009 - The Corn Refiners Association (CRA) provided an expanded response, following up on its earlier statement about an article released in Environmental Health on January 26 and an unpublished editorial report by the advocacy group Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP; also a co-author of the journal article), which asserts that limited tests found a measurable level of mercury in foods containing high fructose corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup samples from early 2005.

Expert Assessment: HFCS Mercury Study Flawed and Misleading

January 30, 2009 - ChemRisk, a leading scientific consulting firm, was asked by the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) to examine the recent publication by Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), "Not So Sweet: Missing Mercury and High Fructose Corn Syrup," and the Environmental Health journal publication "Mercury from chlor-alkali plants: measured concentrations in food product sugar," by Dufault et al, 2009, and to offer our comments and analysis.

HFCS Mercury Study Outdated; Based on Discontinued Technology

January 26, 2009 - The Corn Refiners Association (CRA) today challenged the relevance and accuracy of information published by Environmental Health asserting that certain tests found measurable levels of mercury in high fructose corn syrup.

To schedule an interview with an independent expert concerning high fructose corn syrup or for more information, please contact:

Audrae Erickson
President
Corn Refiners Association
1701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20006-5806
Phone: (202) 331-1634
Fax: (202) 331-2054
pressinquiry@corn.org