Fraud alert: car-buying scams on the rise – National Consumers League

/in /by

March 22, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC – Consumers in the market for a used car this spring should be on guard against unscrupulous sellers looking to take them for a ride, warns the nation’s oldest consumer group. In response to an increase in consumer complaints to the National Consumers League’s Fraud Center, the nonprofit group is warning consumers that, with the arrival of the upcoming peak car-buying season  comes increased risk of falling victim to a scam.

“Scam artists prey on consumers in search of a bargain, and these scams are no exception,” said John Breyault, Director of the Fraud Center. “Unfortunately, the only person that’s getting a steal are the con artists themselves.”

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, operates a Fraud Center that has been tracking scams and providing consumer education about fraud since 1992. Since the beginning January 2011, NCL’s Fraud Center has received more than 100 complaints from consumers nationwide about these scams, with a total reported loss of nearly $293,674.

The used car scams reported to NCL generally involve a classified listing on any of a number of popular sales and auction sites such as craigslist, Yahoo! Autos, or eBay. The listings are generally for late-model automobiles, often luxury brands, at well below market value. In the schemes, when the victim contacts the scammer, they are told that the seller is not local and that payment for the car itself or for shipment of the car should be sent via wire transfer to the seller. Often, the seller claims to be a member of the armed services who is either already deployed or preparing to deploy. As such, quick payment is necessary to ensure that the buyer received the “great deal” on the car.

“Scam artists are imaginative, and they have tricks aplenty to get a victim to trust them,” said Breyault. “However, consumers can protect themselves by recognizing the most common red flags involved in these scams and never, ever  rush to buy.”

NCL recommends consumers avoid used car sales with the following red flags:

  • the seller asks for payment via wire transfer or bank-to-bank transfer.
  • The car is listed at a price far below common market values (such as Kelley Blue Book value).
  • The seller asks for payment urgently since they are or will soon be relocating overseas.
  • The seller says that they are located overseas, but they have an American middleman or online escrow service that will hold the money until the vehicle is delivered.
  • The seller refuses to meet in person or communicate on the phone.
  • The seller’s email or instant messages contain multiple grammar and spelling errors.
  • The seller claims that the transaction is insured by a “protection program” associated with a real site (such as eBay, Google Checkout, PayPal, etc.) or another online payment system.

Victims of these or any other fraud are encouraged to file a complaint at www.fraud.org.

###

About the National Consumers League

Founded in 1899, the National Consumers League is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Its mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. NCL is a private, nonprofit membership organization. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org

Labor, consumer, environmental groups call on Congress, White House to bolster worker protections – National Consumers League

/in /by

March 21, 2011

Contact: Laura Catalano, (202) 641-5922, catalanolaura@rocketmail.com

Washington, DC – A coalition of labor, consumer and environmental groups is calling on Congress and the White House to take steps in the next 100 days to preserve, protect and bolster labor laws in the United States. The call to action covers several issues ranging from minimum wage and child labor laws, to OSHA and Mine Safety Act reform and collective bargaining rights.

The move comes in response to efforts by lawmakers in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and 37 other states to pass anti-labor legislation, including repealing minimum wage laws, banning prevailing wage standards, repealing child labor laws, passing “right-to-work-for-less” laws, and abolishing collective bargaining rights.

“Many of today’s corporate titans have shown the same callous disregard for America’s working families as the owners of the Triangle company,” said Eric Frumin, Safety and Health Director, Change to Win. “But like the Triangle workers, we will not be deterred from our fight for a fair economy that looks out for everyone. The struggle continues, in the memory of the Triangle workers of 1911, the Massey miners of 2010, and workers everywhere seeking justice on the job.”

The five-point call to action urges Congress and the Obama Administration to:

1. Update and reform workplace and mine safety and health laws.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) are working with limited resources and severely restricted enforcement powers. Approximately 4,300 workers die every year in workplace incidents, roughly 12 workers a day , while tens of thousands die annually from occupational diseases. OSHA’s maximum fine for serious violations of safety rules is piddling—only $7,000 per violation. Only when an employer willfully violates OSHA safety standards — creating conditions that lead to a worker fatality — can be charged with a criminal violation, which is a misdemeanor—six months or less in jail for killing an employee.

The House of Representatives and Senate will consider legislation that would overhaul OSHA and MSHA. The Robert C. Byrd Mine Safety and Health Act would address these concerns and significantly strengthen the powers of the agencies responsible for worker safety, and provide real protection to workers who complain about hazardous conditions.

2. Preserve, protect and enhance minimum wage and child labor laws.

In Missouri and Maine, bills to literally repeal child labor laws and prevent state agencies from investigating child labor abuses have been introduced.https://www.senate.mo.gov/11info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=4124271;

The bill has caused a stir in Missouri and throughout the nation. The Governor of Maine is supporting that state’s bill. https://www.sunjournal.com/state/story/997624

In addition, anti- labor legislation has been introduced in 37 states, including bills to repeal minimum wage laws, ban prevailing wage standards, and pass right-to-work laws.

3. Pass federal legislation to protect child farm workers.

Currently farmworker children are denied the protections given to other working young people because agriculture workers are exempted from federal labor protections. Children as young as 12 can legally work in the fields and oftentimes children far younger can be found there as well. The CARE Act (The Children’s Act for Responsible Employment (CARE) ) would change that paradigm. CARE would create a number of disincentives for children to work in the fields, and would help to ensure that young people are in school where they can get an education and end the cycle of poverty that keeps farmworkers in low wage work.

4. Preserve and protect existing worker protection programs, and support the Administration’s request to increase the Labor Department’s budget.

President Obama’s 2012 budget requests an increase of 4.7% for the Department of Labor, which is intended to reverse “years of erosion in funding for labor law enforcement agencies.”

By contrast to the President’s budget,  the Congressional Research Servicesays that the recent GOP budget cuts for FY 2011 will require the National Labor Relations Board to furlough all staff for roughly two entire months.[1] OSHA is facing similar cuts to its enforcement budget if those cuts are adopted.[2]

We oppose any budget cuts and applaud the president’s call for increased funding for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, to allow it to “vigorously enforce workplace safety laws and oversight,” provide more resources for the Wage and Hour Division to ensure workers get the pay that is due them, and increase funding for the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, which is charged with pursuing a fair and diverse federal contract work force. Restoring such basic enforcement of labor standards is essential to protecting law-abiding employers from underbidding and competition by unscrupulous executives who  exploit workers without penalty.

5. Uphold the right of collective bargaining for public and private workers that include protections for worker health and safety.

In Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana, public workers have had their rights to engage in collective bargaining with management taken away, which denies them a voice on everything from wages, working conditions, protective equipment, overtime, and maximum hours. The right to collective bargaining is a cornerstone of basic labor protections and is a right recognized through international human rights conventions, including Article 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“This year as we mark the 100th anniversary of the Triangle fire, workers and workers’ rights and protections are under attack by corporate interests at the federal and state level,” said Peg Seminario, AFL-CIO Safety and Health Director. “Just as after the Triangle fire, workers, unions and their allies are rising up and taking action to defend the right to organize and to have a union, and to demand the right to dignity, respect and safe jobs.”

“The Triangle fire reminds us that the welfare and protection of workers – their wages, benefits and their safety and health – must be high on our agenda,” said Sally Greenberg, Executive Director, National Consumers League. “Roughly five thousand workers die on the job every year – that’s far too many. We can and we must do better. This week’s anniversary of the terrible Triangle fire reminds us that we need to redouble our efforts to preserve and protect worker safety and health.”

The call to action came following a symposium today on Capitol Hill sponsored by the coalition to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the historic Triangle Shirtwaist Company factory fire in New York City. The fire, which claimed the lives of 146 mostly young immigrant garment workers, changed the politics of our country and improved working conditions for all Americans. During the symposium a panel of safety and labor experts, historians, academics, and victims and the relatives of victims of recent workplace disasters reviewed the status of worker health, safety and rights in the 100 years since this historic fire. The Washington symposium was one of dozens of events held across the country to commemorate the fire.

Members of the coalition: AFL-CIO; Alliance for Justice; American Rights at Work; BlueGreen Alliance; Change to Win; Coalition of Labor Union Women; Consumer Action; CWA; International Labor Rights Forum; National Consumers League; Public Citizen; Roosevelt Institute Campus Network; SEIU; UFCW; UNITE HERE!

For more information, contact Laura Catalano, catalanolaura@rocketmail.com

# # #

[1] https://democrats.edworkforce.house.gov/documents/112/pdf/CRSNLRBanalysis.pdf

[2] https://go.usa.gov/4Jl

NCL statement on AT&T-T-Mobile USA merger announcement – National Consumers League

/in /by

March 20, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, D.C. – The National Consumers League, the country’s pioneering consumer organization, today called on the FCC and Department of Justice to vigorously review the proposed AT&T-T-Mobile USA merger to ensure that the public interest is protected.

The following statement is attributable to Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of the National Consumers League:

“Consumers rarely win when there are fewer choices.  The potential for additional wireless industry consolidation posed by this deal is greatly troubling.  Competition between multiple carriers has driven much of the consumer benefit in the wireless industry over the past decade.  This merger threatens that competition by potentially reducing the number of major national carriers from four to three. We therefore urge the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission to closely scrutinize this deal to ensure that the public interest — not the bottom lines of wireless giants – is protected.”

# # #

About the National Consumers League

Founded in 1899, the National Consumers League is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Its mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. NCL is a private, nonprofit membership organization. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org

NCL applauds introduction of Child Sports Athletic Equipment Safety Act – National Consumers League

/in /by

March 16, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC – Citing the millions of sports-related concussions affecting consumers, the National Consumers League (NCL) today applauded the introduction of legislation to improve youth football helmet safety by Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico.

“The lack of an effective football helmet safety standard that addresses concussion risk puts millions of youth football players in danger,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director. “Research into the long-term impact of concussions, particularly on children and teens, shows that this is serious risk and needs to be addressed at the national level.”

The proposed Children’s Sports Athletic Equipment Safety Act would require makers of football helmets to develop a voluntary safety standard for helmets that address concussion risk and the needs of youth players. The standards would be subject to review by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Should the voluntary standards prove insufficient to addressing concussion risk in new and reconditioned youth helmets, the CPSC would be directed to issue mandatory safety rules for football helmets. The legislation also contains provisions that would require independent third-party testing and certification of adult football helmets should the voluntary standards be insufficient.

“We are troubled by reports of lax oversight of reconditioned football equipment, particularly helmets,” said John Breyault, NCL Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud. “The proposed legislation would provide parents with greater certainty that the equipment protecting their children is held to the highest safety standards.”

###

About the National Consumers League

Founded in 1899, the National Consumers League is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Its mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. NCL is a private, nonprofit membership organization. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org

Japanese earthquake and tsunami expected to cause uptick in donations to fraudulent charity schemes, warns NCL’s Fraud Center – National Consumers League

/in /by

March 15, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—Over the years, opportunistic con artists have exploited both natural disasters and terrorist attacks to bilk generous consumers attempting to make financial contributions to rescue efforts, warns the National Consumers League. The recent devastating earthquake and Tsunami in Japan will likely be no exception.

NCL, the nation’s oldest consumer advocacy organization, collects consumers’ complaints of telemarketing and Internet fraud through NCL’s Fraud Center (www.fraud.org), and anticipates it will soon receive reports of tsunami-related scams.

“In the days following a natural disaster, we often hear from consumers about crooks’ attempts to take advantage of tragic events for their personal gain,” said John Breyault, Director of NCL’s Fraud Center.

After the September 11th terrorist attacks, as well as after Hurricane Katrina and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, NCL’s Fraud Center received reports of a variety of scams tailored by con artists to capitalize on the rescue efforts. Scams typically involve con artists sending out emails purporting to come from a known and respected charity such as the Red Cross or Oxfam International. Victims are then directed to a fake Web site made to look like a legitimate charity’s site, where they are asked to hand over personal information or to donate via wire transfer, PayPal, or a credit or bank account. The scammer then makes off with the donation, and no funds are sent to support actual disaster relief.

“The continued tragedy of fraud perpetrated in the wake of such disasters is that charity scams not only rob the donors,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director. “They divert contributions from legitimate charities, who are in great need for money and goods to assist those who need it most.”

NCL warns consumers to be especially wary of emails from strangers. While many legitimate companies, organizations, and individuals are using the Internet to mobilize help for disaster victims and share information about the latest developments, crooks may use email or social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter to reach a wide audience of potential victims.

“Be cautious about any solicitation that mentions the disaster. Consumers interested in giving to the relief effort should give to charities they know and trust,” said Breyault. “Consumers who want to support disaster relief should contact respected charities directly to make a contribution.”

Additional tips for avoiding charity scams include:

Be wary of clicking on links or on attached files labeled photos or video in emails from senders claiming to represent charities because they may contain viruses.

Consumers can confirm that charities are properly registered by contacting their state charities regulators, which are listed in the state government pages of their telephone books. Information about charities is also available from the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance, 703-276-0100, www.give.org.Consumers can also check out charities at GuideStar (https://www.guidestar.org/), and Charity Navigator (https://www.charitynavigator.org/), both of which contain links to legitimate charities working on the relief effort.

Consumers can report disaster-related telemarketing or Internet fraud to NCL’s Fraud Center via the online complaint form on www.fraud.org.

###

About the National Consumers League

Founded in 1899, the National Consumers League is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Its mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. NCL is a private, nonprofit membership organization. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

 

‘Your Information Destination’: Test your LifeSmarts during National Consumer Protection Week – National Consumers League

/in /by

March 4, 2011

Contact: (202) 835-3323,  media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC – With the focus of this year’s National Consumer Protection Week (March 6-12) highlighting access to quality consumer information for Americans from all walks of life, the National Consumers League is reminding consumers, especially the youngest ones, that it pays to be “LifeSmart.” NCL, an official partner of NCPW, along with federal government agencies and other consumer organizations, runs LifeSmarts (www.lifesmarts.org), a national program for high school and middle school youth that tests students in grades 7-12 with questions about real-life marketplace issues ranging from personal finance, health and safety, the environment, technology, and consumer rights and responsibilities. So far in this 2010-2011 season, the program has recorded the highest participation numbers ever in its 17-year history.

“What better time than National Consumer Protection Week for consumers to learn ways to manage their money wisely, protect themselves from scams, and be smart about credit,” said Lisa Hertzberg, program director of LifeSmarts. “We encourage consumers of all ages to visit the official NCPW Web site (www.ncpw.gov) —and to log on to www.lifesmarts.org to get involved in LifeSmarts.”

The LifeSmarts competition begins online at the state level, where young consumers form teams and compete for spots at state championships across the country. This year’s state champions will go on to attend the National LifeSmarts competition in Hollywood, CA, April 30 – May 3.

“The current marketplace is a challenge for adult consumers,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “But at younger and younger ages, children are having an influence on how their families spend money.  Our LifeSmarts program, and the many resources offered by NCPW partners this year, recognize that we need to start educating our consumers when they are young. NCL is delighted to be a part of the official NCPW Steering Committee.”

As an NCPW Steering Committee member, NCL works with its consumer protection colleagues to provide free resources to help people protect their privacy, manage money and debt, avoid identity theft, understand credit and mortgages, and steer clear of frauds and scams. This year, NCPW partners—which includes AARP, Better Business Bureau, Consumer Federation of America, and a broad array of federal government agencies and others—join with federal, state, and local government agencies to devote a week to raising awareness about today’s consumers’ issues. This year’s efforts include free online resources, which can help consumers protect their privacy, manage money and debt, avoid identity theft, understand credit and mortgages, and steer clear of frauds and scams.

To learn more about the LifeSmarts program, contact Hertzberg at the National Consumers League at (202) 835-3323 or lisah@nclnet.org or visit www.lifesmarts.org.

###

About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Consumer-labor group calls bizarre Missouri Senate bill to reduce child labor protections something ‘out of Charles Dickens novel’ – National Consumers League

/in /by

February 24, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL), the organization which helped pass federal child labor laws in the United States more than 70 years ago, is calling a Missouri bill to bring back child labor “straight out of a Charles Dickens novel.” The 112-year-old NCL is condemning a bill introduced in the Missouri state Senate by Republican Jane Cunningham that would eliminate the prohibition on employment of children under age 14.

“Labor crusader Florence Kelley would be rolling over in her grave,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “This is a new low,” said Greenberg. “Those who are attacking labor and worker protections are now apparently willing to put children back into factories or coal mines.”

Florence Kelley led NCL as the organization’s first Executive Secretary from its founding in 1899 to her death in 1932 and helped draft and enact many of the child labor laws in the United States. The National Consumers League currently co-chairs the 26-member Child Labor Coalition (www.stopchildlabor.org), which works to maintain and improve standards and protections for children working both in the United States and abroad.

The Missouri legislation, SB 222:

  • removes the restrictions on the maxium number of hours and time of day during which a child may work;
  • repeals the requirement that a child ages 14 or 15 obtain a work certificate or work permit in order to be employed;
  • allows children under 16 to work in any capacity in a motel, resort, or hotel where sleeping accommodations are furnished; and,
  • removes the authority of the director of the Division of Labor Standards to inspect employers who employ children and to require them to keep certain records for children they employ. It also repeals the presumption that the presence of a child in a workplace is evidence of employment.

“The last provision would make it extremely difficult for state labor inspectors to detect child labor in the workplace,” said Reid Maki, coordinator of the CLC and NCL’s Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and Fair Labor Standards. “Senator Cunningham is portraying these changes as common sense and innocuous amendments to current law, but they are really a full-frontal assault on child labor protections. Cunningham believes that allowing children to work late into the night makes sense, but late-night hours would expose teens to a greater risk of robbery and assault as well as make it more difficult for the young workers to perform well in school the next morning.

“Americans support the bedrock principle that children should be in school and not in the workplace,” noted Greenberg, who serves as co-chair of the Child Labor Coalition. “NCL and other organizations fought for decades to achieve the protections we have today for young workers. We cannot and should not roll back the clock.”

###

About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL supports the Air Passenger Bill of Rights Act of 2011 – National Consumers League

/in /by

February 15, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League today announced its support for the Air Passenger Bill of Rights Act of 2011, legislation that will provide some very basic rights and increased comfort, including food, water, comfortable cabin temperature, and access to restrooms, while a plane is delayed on the ground. The bill would also require that airlines afford passengers the option to deplane after sitting on the ground for three hours. The U.S. Department of Transportation is also directed in the bill to create a hotline for passenger complaints, as well as approving airline contingency plans, and fining carriers and airports that don’t comply.

“These protections are long overdue,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director. “We applaud Congressman Mike Thompson for his leadership in introducing this bill and Kate Hanni, director of Flyersrights.org, for her heroic advocacy for airline passenger rights. Kate turned a negative experience – being stranded on a plane for 9 hours on the tarmac with her family – into a constructive and pro-consumer movement for airline passenger rights.”

NCL urges the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to address these abuses on Wednesday, when the Committee begins mark-up of the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill.

###

About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

National Consumers League hails IRS policy turnaround on deductibility of breast pumps – National Consumers League

/in /by

February 10, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League today is hailing the reversal of policy by the Internal Revenue Service on breast pumps as a “great day for mothers, babies, and for advances for our nation’s health care.” Referring to this morning’s IRS Announcement 2011-14, advising the public that “expenses for breast pumps and other supplies that assist lactation may be deducted as medical expenses or reimbursed under a flexible spending arrangement or similar plan,” NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg made the following statement:

“Today is a great day for mothers, babies, and for advances for our nation’s health care. We appreciate the care and attention the IRS devoted to the concerns expressed by the NCL, the American Academy of Pediatrics, members of Congress and many other groups who argued forcefully about the need to reimburse for breast pumps. We need to do all that we can to encourage mothers to breastfeed. This new Announcement gets all federal policy on the same page.”

Last fall, Greenberg wrote a letter to the IRS after the tax agency’s determination that breast pumps often used by working mothers wouldn’t be deductible as a medical expense under flexible spending rules. Greenberg’s letter pointed to overwhelming medical evidence that breastfeeding provides critical, long-term health benefits to babies and mothers alike.

According to today’s IRS announcement, the agency has concluded that breast pumps and supplies that assist lactation are classified as medical care under Section 213(d) of the Tax Code because, like obstetric care, they are used for the purpose of affecting a structure or function of the body of the lactating woman.  Therefore, if the remaining requirements of Section 213(a) are met (for example, the taxpayer’s total medical expenses exceed 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income), expenses paid for breast pumps and supplies that assist lactation are now to be considered deductible medical expenses.

Amounts reimbursed for these expenses under flexible spending arrangements, Archer medical savings accounts, health reimbursement arrangements, or health savings accounts are not considered to be income to the taxpayer, according to the IRS. The IRS plans to revise Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses, to include this information.

The decision was also hailed by a group of four lawmakers who, along with 41 others, had written to IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman last November asking him to reverse the IRS decision. Those members of Congress also issued statements today.

“Today’s decision is a huge victory for nursing mothers everywhere,” said Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.), Carolyn B. Maloney, (D-NY), and Sen. Jeff Merkley, (D-Ore.), and Tom Harkin, (D-Iowa). “Modern medicine has documented numerous health benefits linked to breastfeeding, including a reduced risk of illness in infants and a reduced risk of cancer in mothers. And because breastfeeding is so effective in preventing disease, it also happens to save billions in health care costs. We thank the IRS for their careful consideration and quick response.”

###

About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL to FDA: Don’t hide High Fructose Corn Syrup behind misleading ‘Corn Sugar’ name – National Consumers League

/in /by

February 10, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

Washington, DC — The nation’s oldest consumer group told the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today that allowing a name change of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) to “Corn Sugar” would be misleading to consumers and possibly expose the agency to future dilemma, depending on how scientific research and public perception may continue to evolve.

“Regardless of where you stand on the debate over High Fructose Corn Syrup and its effects on our waistlines and our health, changing the name after decades of use is unfair to consumers,” said Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of the National Consumers League. “Consumers are familiar with HFCS, they know how to find it on Nutrition Facts labels, and they deserve consistency so they can continue to make purchasing decisions.”

The National Consumers League (NCL), a Washington, DC-based nonprofit watchdog group, filed formal comments with the FDA urging the agency to reject a petition by the Corn Refiners Association requesting that the name of High Fructose Corn Syrup, a sweetener commonly found in soft drinks and processed foods, be changed to “Corn Sugar.”

The request by the corn refining industry, which makes HFCS, comes before a backdrop of controversial and evolving debate over the ingredient’s nutritional value and possible health implications.

The FDA officially approved the name “High Fructose Corn Syrup” in 1983, and the sweetener has been referred to by that name ever since. HFCS consumption has come under fire in recent years as a possible factor in a variety of health problems ranging from obesity to diabetes, and as a result, some consumers have decided to avoid HFCS. Several manufacturers of brand name foods and beverages have stopped using the ingredient including Hunt’s ketchup, Snapple, Gatorade, and Starbucks’ baked goods.

“The FDA should not play spin doctor for the corn refining industry or shield food companies who use the ingredient from the impact of emerging scientific evidence or from consumer preferences. Just as it would be premature to conclude that HFCS is harmful to health, an official name change could frustrate further scientific study and confuse or irritate consumers,” said Greenberg. “Should it turn out that HFCS does contribute to obesity or other adverse health outcomes, a regulatory decision allowing manufacturers to hide this ingredient from consumers could come back to haunt FDA.”

To read NCL’s letter to the FDA, click here.

###

About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.