October 2, 2012
Don't Let "Big Corn" Do What They Want At The Expense Of Consumers
Last week we emailed you about our petition to food and beverage manufacturers, alerting them about the Corn Refiners Association's (CRA's) attempt to mislead them about consumers' real feelings regarding high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). The CRA's message: “96% of consumers aren't avoiding HFCS.”
We know, as do you, that this simply isn't true. The more consumers learn about HFCS the less they want it in their food, which is why this is just one element of our campaign to ensure that consumers have the truthful, meaningful information they need to make informed decisions about what they put into their bodies.
Food Identify Theft, the CFH project that alerts consumers about misleading food and beverage packaging and deceptive advertising, is gathering signatures for a separate petition to US Food and Beverage companies urging them to say "NO" to HFCS. It will be delivered to the CEOs of the nation's largest food and beverage makers, grocery retailers and chain restaurants, as well as to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Please sign the petition here.
Lastly, while the FDA has "accepted" the CRA's claim that fructose concentrations in the HFCS found in foods within a range of 42-55% fructose are "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS), the FDA specifically refused to recognize the safety of products containing more than 55% fructose. Data show that HFCS concentrations in many products, such as soft drinks, can be much higher - as much as 65% - one company markets an HFCS additive that is 90% fructose according to the Chicago Tribune.
Regardless of the specific negative health impacts of HFCS in general, such concentrations of fructose are NOT generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the FDA and are, therefore, even more troubling than HFCS55. That's why we've submitted a petition to the FDA urging the agency to require a label clearly stating the concentration of fructose in any food item containing HFCS. We're also asking the FDA to take action against food sellers who use unapproved formulas of HFCS.
Please take a few moments to post comments directly to the FDA in support of our petition. You can do so here. (Note that you are a health-conscious food consumer. Let them know that you care about what you eat and that you require accurate information to make good decisions about your diet. If you have any professional connections to the food industry - science, administration, legal, labor, ANY - let the agency know. The FDA offers tips on commenting here).
Our goal: 100,000 signatures/comments from these three petitions. We can do it - with your help.
Please forward this alert to all those you know who want to control what they put into their bodies, and forgive us for any duplication or cross-posting of information you've already received as we continue to send alerts on this in coming weeks. We are working to cast as broad a net as possible to secure our signature/comment goal.
As always, thank you for your participation.
The Citizens for Health Team
Don't Let "Big Corn" Do What They Want At The Expense Of Consumers
Last week we emailed you about our petition to food and beverage manufacturers, alerting them about the Corn Refiners Association's (CRA's) attempt to mislead them about consumers' real feelings regarding high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). The CRA's message: “96% of consumers aren't avoiding HFCS.”
We know, as do you, that this simply isn't true. The more consumers learn about HFCS the less they want it in their food, which is why this is just one element of our campaign to ensure that consumers have the truthful, meaningful information they need to make informed decisions about what they put into their bodies.
Food Identify Theft, the CFH project that alerts consumers about misleading food and beverage packaging and deceptive advertising, is gathering signatures for a separate petition to US Food and Beverage companies urging them to say "NO" to HFCS. It will be delivered to the CEOs of the nation's largest food and beverage makers, grocery retailers and chain restaurants, as well as to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Please sign the petition here.
Lastly, while the FDA has "accepted" the CRA's claim that fructose concentrations in the HFCS found in foods within a range of 42-55% fructose are "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS), the FDA specifically refused to recognize the safety of products containing more than 55% fructose. Data show that HFCS concentrations in many products, such as soft drinks, can be much higher - as much as 65% - one company markets an HFCS additive that is 90% fructose according to the Chicago Tribune.
Regardless of the specific negative health impacts of HFCS in general, such concentrations of fructose are NOT generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the FDA and are, therefore, even more troubling than HFCS55. That's why we've submitted a petition to the FDA urging the agency to require a label clearly stating the concentration of fructose in any food item containing HFCS. We're also asking the FDA to take action against food sellers who use unapproved formulas of HFCS.
Please take a few moments to post comments directly to the FDA in support of our petition. You can do so here. (Note that you are a health-conscious food consumer. Let them know that you care about what you eat and that you require accurate information to make good decisions about your diet. If you have any professional connections to the food industry - science, administration, legal, labor, ANY - let the agency know. The FDA offers tips on commenting here).
Our goal: 100,000 signatures/comments from these three petitions. We can do it - with your help.
Please forward this alert to all those you know who want to control what they put into their bodies, and forgive us for any duplication or cross-posting of information you've already received as we continue to send alerts on this in coming weeks. We are working to cast as broad a net as possible to secure our signature/comment goal.
As always, thank you for your participation.
The Citizens for Health Team
No comments:
Post a Comment