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More join sugar-vs-corn lawsuit

Five sugar companies and two trade associations have joined a lawsuit seeking to prevent a name change for high fructose corn syrup. The Sugar Association and the American Sugar Cane League, American Sugar Refining, Amalgamated Sugar Company, Imperial Sugar Company, Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative and the United States Sugar Corporation have joined original plaintiffs Western Sugar Cooperative, Michigan Sugar Company and C&H Sugar Company, Inc in a suit filed last month in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.

The Corn Refiners Association petitioned the Food and Drug Administration last September asking that “high fructose corn syrup” be changed to “corn sugar” on food ingredient lists. The corn refiners contend HFCS is not really fructose but a combination of fructose and glucose. The sugar interests say the attempt to change the name is an attempt to deceive consumers and constitutes false advertising.

Besides the CRA, the suit also names ADM, Cargill, Corn Products International, Penford Products, Roquette America, and Tate & Lyle Ingredients Americas as defendants.