News Releases & Statements

ABA Statement on HFCS-Sweetened Soft Drinks and Diabetes

NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 23, 2007
 
Contacts:   

Tracey Halliday
(202) 463-6718

Jennifer Tzitzon
(202) 463-6705

AMERICAN BEVERAGE ASSOCIATION  STATEMENT ON HFCS-SWEETENED
SOFT DRINKS AND DIABETES

In response to the paper on soft drinks sweetened with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and diabetes presented today at the 234th Annual Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Dr. Richard H. Adamson, scientific consultant to the American Beverage Association (ABA), said:

“There is absolutely no unique link between soft drinks sweetened with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and diabetes, in children or adults.  In fact, it is a stretch of the imagination to link the laboratory findings of this unpublished in vitro study with the occurrence of diabetes in humans.  This work is solely a chemical analysis and does not take into consideration normal digestive and metabolic processes.  The researcher’s findings simply cannot be extrapolated to people. 

Furthermore, the authors looked at levels of reactive carbonyl groups (RCGs) – which occur naturally in humans as the result of normal metabolic processes.  RCGs also occur naturally in a number of foods and beverages, such as juice and coffee.  Additionally, the fact that juices, which are acidic and naturally contain fructose and glucose (as does HFCS), have RCGs further supports that their findings are not due to HFCS.  The techniques used may have been affected by the simple presence of acidity and carbonation.  There is nothing unique to HFCS.

HFCS is a common liquid sweetener whose components—glucose and fructose—are found in many everyday foods and beverages, including fruit and corn.  There is nothing unique to their ingestion or metabolism.  Even industry critics have found there is no unique link between this ingredient and metabolic responses or obesity, a known risk factor for diabetes.  All beverages, including those sweetened with HFCS, can play a role in a healthy and balanced lifestyle when consumed in moderation and in conjunction with regular physical activity. 

Importantly, we know that diabetes is a disease commonly known to have multiple causes, including overweight, inadequate exercise, aging, ethnicity and genetics.  Neither the National Institutes of Health nor the American Diabetes Association lists soft drinks, fruit juice consumption or sugar intake as risk factors for type 2 diabetes.  Singling out any one food, beverage or ingredient as a unique cause or contributor to diabetes is simply not supported by science.” 

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The American Beverage Association is the trade association representing the broad spectrum of companies that manufacture and distribute non-alcoholic beverages in the United States.

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