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FDA Investigates Misleading Nutrition Labels On Food Packages

Posted on: Wednesday, 21 October 2009, 13:10 CDT

Federal health officials are warning food manufacturers about labels containing misleading health benefits like "Smart Choices" stickers, after receiving consumer complaints about the validity of such labels, The Associated Press reported. 

Officials from the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that nutritional logos from food manufacturers might be misleading consumers about the actual health benefits of cereal, crackers and other processed foods.

Letters were sent to companies saying the FDA would begin cracking down on inaccurate food labeling. However, the agency did not name specific products or give a timeline for when enforcements would begin.

To combat the growing concern about obesity rates, many U.S. manufacturers, including Kellogg, Kraft Foods and General Mills, began using the so-called Smart Choices program last year. Foods that meet certain standards for calories per serving and fat content have been sporting the green labels on the front of their boxes.

But lax standards for the program, with logos appearing on everything from frozen sweets to sugary cereals, have caught the attention of consumer advocate groups who want more regulation.

FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said there are products that have gotten the Smart Choices check mark that are almost 50 percent sugar.

Hamburg said the agency is developing proposed nutritional standards that would have to be met before manufacturers place such claims on their packages.

She said she hoped the industry would cooperate with the FDA to develop standardized "labeling that all Americans can trust and use to build better diets."

Smart Choices is based on the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, according to Mike Hughes, chair of the Smart Choices Program.

He said in a statement that they believe in the science behind the Smart Choices Program and they look forward to the opportunity to participate in FDA's initiatives on front-of-package labeling.

Over a half-dozen labels can be found on grocery packages, including the American Heart Association's heart-shaped logo, Giant Food Store's Healthy Ideas box and Supervalu's Nutritional IQ logo.

Hamburg said there's a growing proliferation of forms and symbols, check marks, numerical ratings, stars, heart icons and the like.

"There's truly a cacophony of approaches, not unlike the tower of Babel," she said.

Members of the Washington-based Grocery Manufacturers Association, which includes Kraft, Nestle USA and most other large food processors, said they would work with the FDA to provide useful nutritional information to consumers.

The group said companies already have reformulated 10,000 products to make them healthier – including ConAgra's move to reduce sodium in its soup, hot dogs and other products by 20 percent.

General Mills stated it was adding fiber to its cereals.

U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat, told Reuters she was very encouraged by the FDA's commitment to proceed with enforcement actions against unauthorized claims.

"Clearly something is wrong when foods such as Froot Loops cereal, Cookie Crisp cereal, and Uncle Ben's Instant Rice are designated as 'healthy' by these labeling systems," DeLauro said.

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On the Net:

• FDA
• Smart Choices Program

Source: RedOrbit Staff & Wire Reports

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