[vendtalk] Consumer Advocate CSPI Petitions FDA To Limit Sugar In Drinks

[Vandervoort's]

Vending Times
Issue Date: Vol. 53, No. 3, March 2013, Posted On: 2/13/2013 
Consumer Advocate CSPI Petitions FDA To Limit Sugar In Drinks

Nick Montano
Nick at vendingtimes.net 

Michael F. Jacobson: 'Like a slow-acting but ruthlessly efficient bioweapon,
sugar drinks cause obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.' 
WASHINGTON -- The Center for Science in the Public Interest filed a petition
today with the FDA which sets forth what it says is scientific evidence that
added sugars, especially in drinks, cause weight gain, obesity and chronic
illnesses like diabetes, heart disease and gout. The 54-page argument cites
clinical trials that have found that people who are assigned to drink sugary
beverages gain more weight than those assigned to drink sugar-free
beverages, as well as other studies that link high-sugar diets to increases
in triglycerides, LDL ("bad") cholesterol and liver fat.
"As currently formulated, Coke, Pepsi, and other sugar-based drinks are
unsafe for regular human consumption," said CSPI executive director Michael
F. Jacobson. "Like a slow-acting but ruthlessly efficient bioweapon, sugar
drinks cause obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. The FDA should require
the beverage industry to reengineer their sugary products over several
years, making them safer for people to consume, and less conducive to
disease."
The nonprofit Center for Consumer Freedom fired back by calling the CSPI's
petition an over-the-top stunt that misguidedly seeks to revoke "generally
recognized as safe" (GRAS) status for sodas' added sweeteners.
The CCF said: "Blaming the sugar in soda as the main culprit for obesity and
weight-related ailments is absurdly misguided. Study after study
demonstrates that soda or any specific food or beverage is not a unique
contributor to obesity. In fact, federal government data shows that soft
drinks only provide 7% of a person's daily calories. Weight gain is a
function of simple mathematics: calories "in" (food) exceed calories "out"
(exercise). Of course, food scolds like CSPI would rather concentrate their
policy making efforts largely on only one side of the equation (calories
in)." | SEE STATEMENT
The American Beverage Association also responded to the petition and said
that, "Everyone has a role to play in reducing obesity levels -- a fact
completely ignored in this petition. This is why the beverage industry has
worked to increase options and information for consumers."
In addition to asking the FDA to reduce levels of added sugars allowed in
beverages, CSPI's petition urges the agency to encourage the food industry
to voluntarily decrease added sugars in breakfast cereals and baked goods,
among other foods. CSPI said the FDA should add a separate line for added
sugars on Nutrition Facts labels and mount, perhaps with the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, education campaigns aimed at curbing
consumption of added sugars.