FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                    CONTACT:   Phillip Hayes
Wednesday, May 20, 2009                                                            202-507-8303


WASHINGTON—The American Sugar Alliance today released the following statement in response to a proposed excise tax on sweetened beverages included in a list of revenue options released May 18 by the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee.

“America’s sugar producers are opposed to a ‘soda tax’ regardless of the fact that the vast majority of U.S. soft drinks are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, not sugar.  Such a tax would penalize our colleagues in the corn farming business and wrongly demonizes sweetened products.  Sugar is a natural ingredient with only 15 calories a teaspoon.  It is a staple of the world’s diet and has been enjoyed for centuries.  The United States Congress should not single out one food product as a scapegoat when most foods and beverages, including many of those sweetened with artificial ingredients, have calories and should be consumed in moderation.”