Food Companies Warn Of Impending Sugar Shortage, Misery, Doom

[The Seeker of Good Songs]

..or there go the prices...again

"The food companies say we are on the brink of a sugar shortage that will wreak havoc on your candy bars and all that. According to the WSJ several large food companies including Kraft Foods Inc., General Mills Inc., Hershey Co. and Mars Inc. sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack warning that the US could run out of sugar if we don't get rid of some tariffs. The WSJ says that the companies threatened to lay off workers and increase consumer prices if their demands are not met.
Currently, there are various quotas and tariffs on sugar imports from everywhere except Mexico.
Meanwhile, Jack Roney, chief economist for the American Sugar Alliance, told CBS News that there isn't actually a shortage.

"We doubt if they will do anything because there is absolutely no shortage of sugar in this market. Every sweetener-user company that's looking for sugar can find it. We've got sugar sellers right now who've got sugar piled up waiting to sell."
​

Food Firms Sound Alarm on Sugar Shortage [CBS]
Food Firms Warn of Sugar Shortage [WSJ]"

from: http://consumerist.com/5336888/food-companies-warn-of-impending-sugar-shortage-misery-doom

 

[Scarlet Ibis]

I wish it were true. Nobody should be eating sugar. I think of it as poison. Sometimes my husband brings it home and lets my little girl have some. I feel like he might as well be giving her arsenic.

 

[mozmal]

I wish it were true. Nobody should be eating sugar. I think of it as poison. Sometimes my husband brings it home and lets my little girl have some. I feel like he might as well be giving her arsenic.

Too true and well said. Sugar is in virtually every type of processed food, you simply don't need it in your body. Period.

 

[Scarlet Ibis]

Too true and well said. Sugar is in virtually every type of processed food, you simply don't need it in your body. Period.

Though I do make exceptions on birthdays and holidays. Everyone likes a slice of birthday cake or Christmas pudding. It brings back childhood memories.

But, yes, for the most part... No sugar. I don't even think fruit juice should be consumed with wild abandon. Sugar is sugar as far as I'm concerned. My aunt puts honey all over everything and claims she's being healthy. *eyeroll*

 

[SomeFormOfSusan]

WHAT IS THIS I DON'T EVEN

Not arguing with your choices, but do you really go basically without sugar except for christmas and birthdays? That is some self restraint.

 

[Emotional Guide Dog]

I wish it were true. Nobody should be eating sugar. I think of it as poison. Sometimes my husband brings it home and lets my little girl have some. I feel like he might as well be giving her arsenic.

SI : 'Where have you been at this hour?'

H: 'I've been seeing another woman.'

SI: 'No you haven't, you've been out eating Mars Bars. Get out of my house!'

 

[Scarlet Ibis]

WHAT IS THIS I DON'T EVEN

Not arguing with your choices, but do you really go basically without sugar except for christmas and birthdays? That is some self restraint.

Yes! I'm about 95% sugar free. Sometimes I'll sample something with sugar in it if it looks fantastic, but I never sit and eat a lump of anything with sugar in it. Yes, birthday cake, Christmas treats and other special occasions warrant a little sugar... And also special vacations to exotic places. Like when I went to England I tasted some Cadbury chocolate (didn't eat a whole bar of it though) and... What's that other treat that the English are always eating? I forget right now, but yeah... I make exceptions to taste special foods or foods that are exotic to me.

I'm diabetic, so it's best this way as sugar can really harm me. Still, even if I wasn't diabetic I would limit my sugar intake. It does bad things in our bodies. The only benefit of sugar is the taste. Other than that it does us no good at all. Even the way it delivers energy is terrible when compared with other carbohydrates.

I wasn't such a sugar-Nazi until I had my daughter. She shows signs of being insulin resistant like I am and I'd like to keep her from getting full-blown diabetes for as long as possible, so I try to keep the sugar to a minimum. I'm amazed at how much sugar kids get foisted on them. Her school serves breakfast daily and every single breakfast they offer is high in sugar. It's either donuts, cinnamon buns, or sugar cereal. Then they have the nerve to send home pamphlets about proper nutrition for children.

 

[Scarlet Ibis]

SI : 'Where have you been at this hour?'

H: 'I've been seeing another woman.'

SI: 'No you haven't, you've been out eating Mars Bars. Get out of my house!'

I'm not quite that strict. Yet.

 

[I am a Ghost]

I indulged in a huge, sticky tart last night.

 

[The Seeker of Good Songs]

I indulged in a huge, sticky tart last night.

Did you call her "sugar"?

 

[clumsy and shy]

get rid of sugar and get rid of [most] fatties

and bring on the aspartame induced cancers

 

[I am a Ghost]

Did you call her "sugar"?

I was too busy masticating furiously upon said tart to be capable of uttering anything remotely comprehensible.