The bitter decades-long feud between Big Sugar and Big Candy began to ease in a conference room at Washington's Four Seasons hotel, where more than 40 lobbyists faced off, divided by a table and trays of pastries.

The deal that emerged more than a year later is an incremental step toward scaling back an entrenched government program that costs U.S. food manufacturers and grocery shoppers as much as $3.5 billion per year, according to data compiled by the Government Accountability Office.

It also marked a rare concession from one of Washington's most powerful lobbying groups -- Big Sugar.

The hard-fought settlement, quietly tucked into President Donald Trump's signature tax law passed earlier this year, demonstrates how difficult it is to pry special treatment away from well-connected Wa

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