Money Matters, Simplified.
FDA warns 17 food makers over misleading nutrition claims
by Natalie James - March 4, 2010 - comments
Besides the warning letters, FDA has released a "Dear Industry" letter in which the agency has urged food producers to collaborate on improving nutrition information, especially on the front of food packaging, where consumers are most likely to see it
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued warning for food manufacturers who are making false and misleading statements about nutrition and health benefits on their product packaging.
The agency on Wednesday released 17 warning letters to food manufacturers, including major brands such as Gerber and Nestle, accusing them of overstating or misstating the nutritional value of baby food, nuts and other products on their labels.
FDA warns food makers
In the warning letters, sent to the companies on Feb. 22 and made public on Wednesday, March 3, the FDA has notified the food manufacturers about the false claim.
The US health watchdog has said that the labeling for 22 of their food products violates the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
Firms made false claims
FDA accuses the companies of making claims over trans fat content, antioxidant advantages, and omega-3 benefits that fail to the agency’s guidelines.
The violations cited in the warning letters include unauthorized health claims, unauthorized nutrient content claims, and the unauthorized use of terms such as "healthy," including others that have strict, regulatory definitions.
Claims violate law
FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said that although the food industry has improved food-product labeling to include more information on ingredients in the products, more needs to be done.
"Unfortunately, however, we continue to see products marketed with labeling that violates established labeling standards," she said.
"Today, ready access to reliable information about the calorie and nutrient content of food is even more important, given the prevalence of obesity and diet-related diseases in the United States," she added.
Who are affected?
The companies that received warning letters from FDA include Dreyers Grand Ice Cream, Inc, Gorton's, Inc., Schwan's Consumer Brands, Spectrum Organic Products, Inc., Beech-nut, PBM Products, Nestle, Nestle Nutrition, Redco Foods, Sunsweet Growers, Fleminger Inc., POM Wonderful, Ken's Foods, Inc., Pompeian, Inc., Diamond Food, Inc., First Juice, Inc. and Want Want Foods.
Among the targets of the FDA action is an array of products, including Gerber baby food, Juicy Juice, Dreyer’s ice cream, POM pomegranate juice and Gorton’s fish fillets among others.
Hamburg has warned the aforementioned companies to adhere the regulatory line conscientiously, noting that "we continue to see products marketed with labeling that violates established labeling standards."
Companies that receive warning letters have 15 business days to inform the agency of their actions they will take to correct their labeling.
Besides the warning letters, FDA has released a "Dear Industry" letter in which the agency has urged food producers to collaborate on improving nutrition information, especially on the front of food packaging, where consumers are most likely to see it.
FDA move is welcomed
Meanwhile, Michael Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, has welcomed the FDA’s latest move.
"Mislabeling is a real disservice to consumers because people are cheated and are led to believe their food is healthier than it is," said Jacobson, who said he had been asking the watchdog for such action since 1970.
"We're delighted that the FDA has issued an unprecedented flock of warning notices to companies big and small to clean up their labels."