Cherry products must drop disease claims – FDA

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug

Administration said on Monday it warned more than two dozen

companies to stop selling cherry products that claim to
help

treat or prevent cancer, heart disease, arthritis and other

diseases.

The agency sent warning letters earlier this month to 29

companies, ordering them immediately to stop making the
health

claims on their Web sites and product labels.

“The companies cited are marketing dried fruit, fruit
juice,

and juice concentrate for treating or preventing of a
variety of

diseases, including cancer, heart disease, and arthritis,”
the

FDA said in a statement.

If the companies fail to take corrective measures, they may

face FDA enforcement actions such as seizure of their
products

or criminal sanctions.

The following companies were sent the warning letters:

* Amon Orchards, Acme, Mich.

* Brownwood Acres, Eastport, Mich.

* Cherry Lands Best, Appleton, Wis.

* Cherry Republic, Glen Arbor, Mich.

* Cherry Rx, Genoa City, Wis.

* Chukar Cherry Co., Prosser, Wash.

* Coloma Frozen Foods, Coloma, Mich.

* Country Ovens, Ltd., Forestville, Wis.

* Eden Foods Inc, Clinton, Mich.

* Flavenoid Sciences, Traverse City, Mich.

* Friske Orchards, Ellsworth, Mich.

* Heritage Products International, Livonia, Mich.

* H & W Farms, Belding, Mich.

* King Orchards, Central Lake, Mich.

* Leelanau Fruit Co., Suttons Bay, Mich.

* Leland Cherry Co., Leland, Mich.

* Obstbaum Orchards, Salem, Mich.

* Orchard’s Harvest, Traverse City, Mich.

* Overlake Foods Corp., Olymica, Wash.

* Payson Fruit Growers, Inc., Payson, Utah

* Rowley and Hawkins Fruit Farms, Basin City, Wash.

* Rowley’s South Ridge Farms Inc., Santaquin, Utah.

* Royal Ridge Fruit & Cold Storage, Royal City, Wash.

* Seaquist Orchards, Sister Bay, Wis.

* Skyview Orchards, Ludington, Mich.

* Sunrise Dried Fruit Co., Northport, Mich.

* TPG Enterprises Inc., Othello, Wash.

* Traverse Bay Farms, Bellaire, Mich.