Corn Refiners Association

Corn Refiners Association (CRA) is the Washington D.C.-based trade association "representing the corn refining (wet milling) industry of the United States".

High-fructose public relations
In June 2008, CRA launched a 18 month, $20 to $30 million public relations and advertising campaign "to convince consumers that HFCS [high-fructose corn syrup] isn't the evil it has been made out to be," reported the Wall Street Journal. CRA ran ads in more than a dozen major newspapers -- under the banner "time for a little food for thought" -- stressing that HFCS has the "same natural sweeteners as table sugar and honey."

The campaign, which was created by the Omnicom Group firm DDB, also included television and online ads and "phone and in-person conversations with influential mommy bloggers." A website, www.HFCS.com, headlined "The Truth about High Fructose Corn Syrup purports to offer "a sweet surprise" through, among other things, research reports that defend high fructose corn syrup. CRA has been trying to counter the bad publicity around HFCS since 2004, but concluded it "could no longer afford to rely on simple grass-roots marketing tactics such as talking with nutritionists and doctors." Major food and beverage producers, such as Kraft, are now promoting products as HFCS-free. The American Medical Association recently concluded that HFCS "doesn't appear to contribute more to obesity than other caloric sweeteners," but called for "further independent research."

CRA has also established a Scientific Advisory Panel to provide "advice on scientific matters affecting food policy, technology, and health and safety." Enlisting "independent, outside expert advisors" is one tactic corporations use to associate themselves with a body that appears to be official, objective and impartial. Hiring professionals also disabuses them of any impulse to speak out critically of the organization.

Sweet touch
In February 2008, the CRA registered a website -- Sweet-Smarts.com -- which it states was "created to provide factual information about many of the common sweeteners on the market today."

Member companies

 * Archer Daniels Midland
 * Cargill
 * Corn Products International
 * National Starch
 * Penford Products
 * Roquette America
 * Tate & Lyle Ingredients Americas

Lobbyists
Lobbyists for the Corn Refiners Association have included:
 * Nancy Kohler (2009-2011)
 * Audrae Erickson (2005-2009)
 * Constance Jackson (2009)
 * Kyd Brenner (2008)
 * Steven Lomax (2008)

Contact details
Corn Refiners Association 1701 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 950 Washington, DC 20006 Phone: (202) 331-1634 Fax: (202) 331-2054 Website: http://www.corn.org/

SourceWatch resources

 * Omnicom Group
 * Sweet-Smarts.com