Added Sugar, Subtracted Science

The report argues that sugar interests employ strategies similar to those of the tobacco industry to deceive the public and policymakers about the health risks of added sugar. It details tactics such as attacking scientific research, spreading misinformation through front groups, and using political contributions and lobbying to prevent the implementation of strict nutrition standards and sugar taxes. The document highlights the gap between actual American sugar consumption and recommended limits, while providing examples of local and international efforts to implement science-informed nutrition policies.

• American sugar consumption significantly exceeds health recommendations; from 1970 to 2000, consumption increased by 25 percent, reaching an average daily intake nearly three times the recommended limit.
• Scientific evidence links the overconsumption of added sugars—including sucrose and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)—to chronic metabolic diseases such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension.
• Sugar interests have actively worked to discredit scientific findings, including threatening the World Health Organization (WHO) with the suspension of U.S. funding after the organization recommended a 10 percent limit on calorie intake from added sugars in 2003.
• The industry employs 'front groups' and PR firms to spread misinformation while hiding corporate affiliations; for example, the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) funded Berman and Company to run ads through the Center for Consumer Freedom to promote the 'naturalness' of HFCS.
• Industry actors use 'the funding effect' to bias scientific literature, with some studies indicating that industry-funded nutrition research is four to eight times more likely to produce results favorable to the sponsor than independent studies.
• Sugar interests use aggressive lobbying and political contributions to block health policies; in 2009, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and the American Beverage Association spent over $37 million on lobbying to oppose a proposed federal excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages.
• The industry influenced the implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 by lobbying the USDA to adopt a weaker 'sugar-by-weight' limit for school nutrition standards rather than a stricter caloric limit.
• At the local level, the beverage industry has spent millions to defeat soda taxes in California towns like Richmond and El Monte by hiring undisclosed community spokespersons and exploiting racial and class tensions.
• Some regions have successfully implemented science-based policies, such as Mexico's 2014 excise tax on soda and Massachusetts' school interventions that contributed to a 3.7 percent drop in childhood obesity over five years.

APA

Goldman, G., Carlson, C., Bailin, D., Fong, L., & Phartiyal, P. (2014). Added Sugar, Subtracted Science. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/added-sugar-subtracted-science.pdf

Chicago

Goldman, Gretchen, Christina Carlson, Deborah Bailin, Lindsey Fong, and Pallavi Phartiyal. Added Sugar, Subtracted Science. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2014. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/added-sugar-subtracted-science.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Goldman |first1=Gretchen |last2=Carlson |first2=Christina |last3=Bailin |first3=Deborah |last4=Fong |first4=Lindsey |last5=Phartiyal |first5=Pallavi |title=Added Sugar, Subtracted Science |publisher=Union of Concerned Scientists |date=June 2014 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/added-sugar-subtracted-science.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{goldman2014added, author = {Goldman, Gretchen and Carlson, Christina and Bailin, Deborah and Fong, Lindsey and Phartiyal, Pallavi}, title = {{Added Sugar, Subtracted Science}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2014}, month = jun, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/added-sugar-subtracted-science.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }