WASHINGTON (PRNewswire-USNewswire) — A federal judge in Los Angeles denied a motion filed by Corn Refiners Association ("CRA") member companies seeking leave to amend their counterclaim against the sugar industry defendants in the Western Sugar Cooperative et al v. Archer-Daniels-Midland Company et al. litigation on Tuesday. The motion sought leave to expand an existing counterclaim against The Sugar Association and to include other individual members of the sugar industry.
U.S. District Court Judge Consuelo Marshall denied the Corn Refiners' request to amend the counterclaim. Subject to further developments, the case would continue to proceed on the original counterclaim already filed by the CRA member companies against The Sugar Association.
John Bode, president of the CRA, expressed his disappointment with the ruling, "We are disappointed by the ruling, and are considering our options. At a minimum, we would proceed with the case under our original counterclaim against The Sugar Association. We have alleged and expect to prove at trial that The Sugar Association has purposely misled the public to create false health concerns and fear about high fructose corn syrup—all for the purpose of increasing sugar's market share."
The Corn Refiners Association (CRA) is the national trade association representing the corn refining industry of the United States. CRA and its predecessors have served this important segment of American agribusiness since 1913. Corn refiners manufacture sweeteners, ethanol, starch, bioproducts, corn oil and feed products from corn components such as starch, oil, protein and fiber.