Corn Processors Pay Advocates Claiming They Are Science Experts, According to New Legal Filing

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 16, 2013 -- U.S. corn processors, led by agribusiness giants Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM) and Cargill, have paid advocates to support their controversial claims about high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) while presenting them as scientific experts, lawyers for sugar farmers have told a federal court adjudicating a lawsuit the farmers have brought against the processors. In a formal answer to the corn processors' counterclaim filed October 15 with the U.S. District Court, Central District of California in Los Angeles, sugar industry lawyers said that the corn processors have paid Drs. James M. Rippe and John S. White to advocate on their behalf. The corn processors have claimed the amounts paid are entitled to confidentiality. The redacted court filing is available at http://media.globenewswire.com/cache/17373/file/22631.pdf Both men have been outspoken in their support of the corn processors' marketing claim—disputed in a growing body of peer-reviewed literature—that "your body can't tell the difference" between table sugar and the various formulations of HFCS. The men's opinions were cited in the corn processors' counterclaim, filed late last year. "The corn processors' counterclaim is larded up with alleged facts and wild distortions in order to confuse the central issue, which is that the varied formulations of HFCS are not the same as natural sugar," said Adam Fox, an attorney with the law firm Squire Sanders, co-lead counsel for the sugar farmers. "They aren't fooling anyone." The underlying lawsuit, Western Sugar Cooperative v. Archer-Daniels-Midland, Co., was filed in April 2011 by a group of sugar farmers to stop a multi-million dollar marketing campaign attempting to equate the two ingredients. The sugar farmers claim that the HFCS advertising is false and misleading because it: (1) describes HFCS as "natural" although advanced technology is used to transform corn starch at the molecular level; (2) calls HFCS "corn sugar" although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had reserved that term for an entirely different sweetener; and (3) claims that "your body can't tell the difference" between HFCS and sugar, although numerous scientific publications have reached the opposite conclusion. In May 2012, the FDA rejected a petition by the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) – the trade association of ADM, Cargill, Ingredion and Tate & Lyle Ingredient Americas – to change the common name for HFCS to "corn sugar." The FDA noted that "the use of the term 'sugar' to describe HFCS, a product that is a syrup, would not accurately identify or describe the basic nature of the food or its characterizing properties." The FDA also said the name change could "pose a public health concern" to persons with fructose intolerance or malabsorption. U.S. District Court Judge Consuelo Marshall, who is presiding over the lawsuit, has also ruled on an earlier motion that the plaintiff sugar farmers have presented evidence demonstrating "a reasonable probability of success on their argument that the statements (made by the corn processors) are false." Judge Marshall also rejected an effort by the corn processing giants to have the case against them dismissed. The suit asks to put an end to the challenged advertising and for payment of damages suffered by the sugar industry as a result of the corn processors' ongoing efforts to promote HFCS at the expense of natural sugar.

KFC LAUNCHES “RECIPE FOR HOPE” HUNGER RELIEF PROGRAM WITH AUCTION OF TREASURED COLONEL SANDERS MEMORABILIA

Fans Can Own a Piece of Americana While Benefiting Feeding America and the World Food Programme LOUISVILLE, Ky., October 15, 2013 – Colonel Harland Sanders' commitment to helping others was legendary. In fact, many who knew him have said that he gave away much of his fortune to those in need. That’s why KFC started its Recipe for Hope® program, which raises awareness, volunteerism and funds for hunger relief. Now through November 10, customers have an opportunity to donate $1 at KFC restaurants across the country to support the World Food Programme (WFP), the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger. Last year alone, WFP reached more than 97 million people in 80 countries with food assistance. This year, to raise additional funds and further celebrate the Colonel’s commitment to philanthropy, KFC will auction a number of historical artifacts that Colonel Sanders collected throughout his storied career. These items, which until recently were locked away in a secure underground storage facility in Louisville, Kentucky, are up for auction today through October 28 and will benefit Feeding America, the nation's leading hunger relief organization, and the World Food Programme. “Colonel Sanders' secret recipe to a life well-lived was grounded in giving back and feeding those in need – a principle that lives on today at KFC through our ‘Recipe for Hope’ program,” said John Cywinski, President of KFC U.S. “It seems only fitting that we continue to honor the Colonel’s commitment to fighting hunger by making it possible for his fans to own some of his most prized memorabilia. In doing so, they’ll be further contributing to that same cause.” According to the World Food Programme, one in eight people go to bed hungry each night, and just $1 can feed four children for a day. In the U.S., there are about 49 million people who struggle with hunger, including 16 million children. KFC has teamed up with Dallas-based Heritage Auctions, which notably sold one of Colonel Sanders’ famous white suits last June for $21,510, to help curate and auction items from the “Colonel Sanders Collection.” Items up for auction include a Senate proclamation given on the Colonel’s 90th birthday, the Colonel’s personal Boy Scout plaque, a key to the city of St. Louis, an invitation from President Jimmy Carter for the Colonel and Mrs. Sanders to attend a 1979 White House reception, and a rare Colonel Sanders weathervane from the 1960s. To see footage of these historical artifacts, visit http://DigitalNewsRelease.com/?q=KFC_Auction. Potential bidders should visit www.ha.com/kfc to bid on their favorite items and watch the action live. For more information on Heritage Auctions, visit www.ha.com. To support KFC’s “Recipe for Hope” efforts and help feed the hungry, make a donation at any participating KFC restaurant. Since 2007, KFC has supported Yum! Brands’ nationally-recognized annual campaign supporting the United Nations’ World Food Programme and other hunger relief agencies. In October 2012, the U.S. State Department awarded David Novak, CEO of Yum! Brands, Inc., its top annual humanitarian award for the company’s successes. To date, KFC and Yum! Brands’ World Hunger Relief campaign has raised $150 million for the World Food Programme and other hunger relief organizations. Through these efforts, nearly 600 million meals have been provided around the world. Since 2007, KFC U.S. restaurants alone have raised nearly $9 million to fight hunger. For more information on helping KFC feed the hungry, please visit www.hungertohope.com.