New Web Site Lets You Test Your ‘Sweet-Smarts’ Just in Time for Valentine’s Day and Easter

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 11, 2008

CONTACT: Audrae Erickson
(202) 331-1634

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Valentine’s Day and Easter are two of the biggest occasions of the year for confectionary purchases, which makes the launch of the new Sweet-Smarts Web site (www.sweet-smarts.com) especially timely, according to Audrae Erickson, president of the Corn Refiners Association (CRA). “As part of our launch, we’re inviting consumers to visit the site and test their knowledge of sweeteners by taking our 15-point Sweet-Smarts Quiz,” Erickson announced. “We think people will be surprised by what they know and don’t know when it comes to their Sweet-Smarts.”

The Sweet-Smarts Quiz challenges consumers with general knowledge of sweeteners with questions such as:

  • What is the sweetest sweetener available?
  • How many different types of honey exist?
  • How many calories are in a gram of sugar?
  • What sweetener helps to keep breakfast bars moist?

From the aspartame in Diet Coke to the sweeteners in bread, the Sweet-Smarts Web site uses easy-to-follow charts, frequently asked questions and fact sheets to describe how sweeteners are made and how they affect the human body. “Today’s food aisle is a wonderland of choices, but too often there’s confusion when it comes to label ingredients such as sweeteners, Erickson noted. “The Sweet-Smarts Web site is designed to provide consumers with a credible, useful resource that answers many of the questions they may have about sugar, honey, high fructose corn syrup and other sweeteners found in the products they consume every day. The more people know about sweeteners, the more confidence they’ll have to make healthful, tasty and fulfilling food choices.”

“Reducing consumer confusion about sweeteners should be the goal of nutrition professionals,” said Kristine Clark, Director of Sports Nutrition for the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics at Pennsylvania State University. “Having all the facts at their fingertips will help guide consumers in making their food choices. As a registered dietitian and assistant professor of nutrition science, my goal is to give consumers permission to enjoy sweetened foods and beverages in moderation with peace of mind.”

“We intend for this Web site to become the Internet’s sweet spot for the latest research and science-based information on caloric and non-caloric sweeteners,” Erickson added.

Learn more by visiting www.sweet-smarts.com.

About the CRA

The Corn Refiners Association (CRA) is the national trade association representing the corn refining industry in 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.

About Kristine Clark, Ph.D., R.D., FACSM

Dr. Kristine Clark is the Director of Sports Nutrition for the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics at Pennsylvania State University, where she counsels over 800 varsity athletes from 27 teams. She is also an assistant professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences. In 1999, Dr. Clark was appointed to the Sports Medicine Advisory Board of the United States Olympic Committee. Dr. Clark holds a Ph.D. in Nutrition Science from Pennsylvania State University, a Masters degree in Health Education from the University of Wisconsin, and a B.S. degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Viterbo College, LaCrosse, WI.

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