NBC: Little Difference Between HFCS and Sugar

April 23/Washington/Corn Refiners Association via PRNewswire -- In a NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams report, "The sweet truth about high fructosecorn syrup (HFCS)," chief science correspondent Robert Bazell noted, "Top nutrition scientists say there is indeed little difference between the two products (HFCS and table sugar)."

In commenting on the NBC story, Audrae Erickson, president of the Corn Refiners Association concluded, "This NBC Nightly News story sheds the light of day on an important health and nutrition matter for American consumers. There is no nutritional difference between high fructose corn syrup and sugar. A sugar is a sugar. It is the calories that count."

David S. Ludwig, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, stated in the NBC report, "High fructose corn syrup is one of the most misunderstood products in the food supply."

"NBC got the facts right. Americans save millions of dollars every year because corn-based sweeteners are more economical to produce, while providing superior functionality in foods. In this economy, every little bit helps," reaffirmed Erickson.

In 2008, the American Medical Association said, "After studying current research, the American Medical Association concluded that high fructose syrup does not appear to contribute more to obesity than other caloric sweeteners..." Additionally, the American Dietetic Association (ADA) concluded that "No persuasive evidence supports the claim that high fructose corn syrup is a  unique contributor to obesity."

From the April 27, 2009, Prepared Foods E-dition