Corn Refiners Applaud American Medical Association Decision on High Fructose Corn Syrup

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 19, 2008
CONTACT: Audrae Erickson, President
(202) 331-1634

WASHINGTON, DC – The Corn Refiners Association today applauded a decision by the American Medical Association (AMA) that concluded “high fructose syrup does not appear to contribute to obesity more than other caloric sweeteners.” The decision was issued June 17 in Chicago at the annual meeting of AMA’s House of Delegates, the organization’s principal policy-making body.

“This science-based decision by the nation’s leading medical body reaffirms that no single food or ingredient is the sole cause of obesity. Rather, too many calories and too little exercise is a primary cause,” said Audrae Erickson, president, Corn Refiners Association.

New research continues to confirm that high fructose corn syrup is no different from other sweeteners, according to Erickson. High fructose corn syrup, like table sugar and honey, is natural. It is made from corn, a natural grain product.

Consumption of high fructose corn syrup has been dropping in recent years, yet the rates of obesity and diabetes in the United States continue to rise. Moreover, many other parts of the world have rising rates of obesity and diabetes, despite having little or no high fructose corn syrup in their foods and beverages.

A copy of the AMA press release is available for download.

A copy of Report 3 of the Council on Science and Public Health (A-08) is available at
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/no-index/about-ama/18641.shtml

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CRA is the national trade association representing the corn refining (wet milling) industry of the United States. CRA and its predecessors have served this important segment of American agribusiness since 1913. Corn refiners manufacture sweeteners, ethanol, starch, bioproducts, corn oil, and feed products from corn components such as starch, oil, protein, and fiber.