The petition also asked FDA to establish a Daily Reference Value (DRV) indicating the amount of added sugar that should be consumed daily. FDA denied a similar petition in 1993 and, according to the GMA, the American Frozen Foods Institute (AFFI) and the National Food Processors Assn. (NFPA), nothing has changed to warrant a reversal of that decision.
In their comments to FDA, all three organizations noted that the human body cannot distinguish between naturally occurring sugars and added sugars. The current listing of total sugars is sufficient, they say, and a separate listing for added sugars will only serve to confuse consumers, giving the impression that they are different from or worse than natural sugars.
Costs associated with record-keeping and changing so many labels would be significant and, according to AFFI, could lead to unnecessary trade barriers.
