By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Bacolod City Lone District Rep. Greg Gasataya met with various sugar industry stakeholders for a pre-hearing conference yesterday at the House of Representatives in connection with its investigation on the importation of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) scheduled today.
He said the stakeholders were invited to the hearing to be conducted by the House Committee on Agriculture and Food.
He added that also invited were representatives from Coca-Cola and concerned government agencies, the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Bureau of Customs (BoC), and Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).
The House Committee on Agriculture and Food is chaired by Anac-IP partylist Representative Jose Panganiban Jr.
Gasataya earlier filed a resolution seeking an inquiry after delivering a privilege speech last February about the effects of HFCS on the sugar industry.
The resolution was signed by 15 representatives mostly elected by sugar-producing provinces.
The resolution contends, “HFCS is an imported alternative sweetener made from cornstarch through the conversion of glucose to fructose by glucose isomerase application widely used in the production of soft drinks and in food processing,” adding there is controversy over the health risks presented by HFCS consumption.
The resolution added, “The sugar industry is a major component of the socio-economic and political structure of the country.”
Last month, the Senate committees on agriculture and food, and trade, commerce and entrepreneurship also conducted a similar inquiry, with the committee agreeing to the creation of a sugar industry consultative committee./WDJ