Sugar Growers Charge CRA With Deception

LOS ANGELESSugar cane and sugar beet growers filed an amended complaint in federal court charging the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) and several of its member companies of a  "conspiracy" deliberately designed to "deceive the public."

The complaint argues that CRA and its member companies, including ADM, Cargill, Corn Products International, Roquette America and Tate & Lyle, have spent at least $50 million on a rebranding campaign that sugar farmers say misleads the consuming public by asserting falsely that HFCS is natural and is indistinguishable from the sugar extracted from sugar cane and sugar beets.

"Let's be clear about what is at stake here. This litigation is about false advertising funded by CRA's biggest members," said Adam Fox of Squire Sanders, lead attorney for the sugar growers. "Sugar cane and beet farmers want the defendants to stop their false and misleading statements that harm consumers, harm the makers of real sugar and harm any dialogue based on the truth. This lawsuit seeks to put an end to the intentional deception."

In response to the amended complaint, CRA issued a statement that reads, in part: The simple truth is that the sugar industry is attempting to use the courts to stifle free speech, but it lacks the facts to support its claims against our member companies. The court made that fact clear in its last ruling, and we continue to believe these claims against the companies should be dismissed," says Audrae Erickson, President of the CRA. The more important issue, as the court has recognized, is that of health effects, and we believe the sugar industry is wrongfully alleging that high fructose corn syrup (a sugar made from corn) causes health issues that do not arise from consuming cane and beet sugar."

We believe that the sugar industrys views are misleading American consumers," Erickson says. The CRA will continue its work to educate consumers about high fructose corn syrup and will vigorously oppose the sugar industrys attempt to stifle public discussion of this important health issue."