Sugar Association Quick Issue Update

Chris Hogan Vice President of Communications 35th Annual Sweetener Symposium Traverse City August 6-8, 2018 FDA’s New Food Label The U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s New Food Label

• Released May 20, 2016

• Implementation date: January 2020 (an 18 month extension)

• Based on the 2015 Dietary Guidelines

• Daily Value of 10% based on 50g (adults) and 25g (children <4yrs)

• Serving size for was also increased from 1tsp (4 grams) to 2 tsp (8 grams)

Added Labeling

1. Get an exemption for sugar packaged as a single ingredient – zero added sugars declared 2. Sugar is treated similarly to and , ideally an exemption for all products and, at the very least, sugar should get the disclaimer that honey/maple are getting

2018 so far…

• Conducted Research: consumer understanding of and reaction to FDA’s added sugars labeling

• Submitted Letter: Sen. Daines sent a letter to Commissioner Gottlieb requesting FDA exempt sugar from the added sugars declaration and urging sugar be handled the same way as honey and maple syrup

• Comments Submitted: to FDA and key FDA staff copied directly

• Third‐Party Letter Campaign: coordinated letters from 9 beet and cane Co‐op chairmen to FDA and 11 members of Congress with jurisdiction

• Educational Collateral: created a fact sheet illustrated with label examples and specific findings from the consumer testing, submitted to FDA with our comments

• Press Release: issued with fact sheet, posted to the SAI website, and shared on SAI social media channels Nutrition Facts Label: Consumer Research

• SAI conducted consumer research to determine how consumers would react to FDA’s new label, including the possible honey/maple syrup disclaimer box. • Also tested alternative label formats that represent sugar differently • Used data to support SAI’s official comments when we responded to FDA comment period

Proposed label for honey Key Takeaways

• Majority of consumers believe that added sugars are included in sugar with FDA’s new label • Consumers believe the FDAs recommended label does not represent a pure product, as well as the label with the disclaimer • 70% of respondents said the label reflecting 0 grams of best conveys 8 grams of sugar • 90% of consumers believe the label reflecting 0 grams of added sugar best conveys a pure product • When shown the honey, maple syrup and sugar FDA label, 69% said they do NOT reflect products that are equally pure

New Sugar.org Website Chris Hogan Vice President of Communications

Office: 202.785.1122 x140 Cell: 202.868.0604 Email: [email protected]

Website: www.Sugar.org Facebook: @TheSugarAssociation Twitter: @MoreToSugar_