Sugar leader looks to spud industry’s example in facing critics

A dietitian who heads the Sugar Association says her experience in defending potatoes from critics’ attacks will come in handy in improving perceptions about sugar. As a former staff member with the consulting firm Food Minds, Gaine assisted the National Potato Council in reversing restrictions on potatoes in the national school lunch program and in the federal Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. Gaine said she helped to “package” the narrative that potatoes aren’t just empty carbohydrates, but deliver crucial fiber and potassium.Gaine said current restrictions could also lead to unintended nutritional consequences by ignoring facts, including that sugar makes healthy foods more palatable. For example, new research for the association finds just 3 calories of sugar is sufficient to mask the bitterness of kale.Both spuds and sugar have been “villainized” by observational studies without cause-and-effect relationships, she said.“The potato folks are probably five years ahead of us, and they’ve done the right things. They’ve had some round tables and had some publications that are important and are working on educating the policymakers at USDA,” Gaine said. “It definitely should be a model of how we look to dispel some of the myths around our product.”