APRIL 2002
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
...INTOUCH...
Monthly Updates on Government Action Affecting Food Labels
April 5, 2002
Brought to you by The Food Consulting Company
Your source for food label help
http://www.foodlabels.com
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
Greetings to INTOUCH readers! Label claims are
the topic of
several government agency reports from the past few
weeks.
This issue of INTOUCH identifies these reports and
links you
to the claims guidance documents.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FDA Reconsiders Omega-3 Fatty Acid "Qualified Health
Claim"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Food and Drug Administration recently reconsidered
a
"qualified health claim" for omega-3 fatty acids and
coronary
heart disease and provided the following acceptable
wording:
"Consumption of omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the
risk of
coronary heart disease. FDA has evaluated the data
and deter-
mined that, although there is scientific evidence
supporting the
claim, the evidence is not conclusive." Read FDA
letter and
access related documents:
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/ds-ltr28.html
Author's Note: Writing claims can be tricky! The FDA
"qualified
health claim" applies to dietary supplements, not to
conventional
foods, and came about as a result of a court decision
in the case
of Pearson v. Shalala. See FDA guidance "Claims that
can be
made for conventional foods and dietary supplements:"
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/hclaims.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FDA Requests Comment on Requirement for Health Claim
Use
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FDA is seeking public comment by May 28, 2002, on the
require-
ments for labeling foods with health claims or
nutrient content
claims based on an authoritative statement of a
scientific body.
The current guidance document can be found at:
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/hclmguid.html. Read
FDA notice:
http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/032602c.htm
Author's Note: Claims based on authoritative
statements came
about as a result of the FDA Modernization Act of
1997. This
type of health claim applies only to conventional
foods, not dietary
supplements; however nutrient content claims of this
type can
apply to either foods or dietary supplements. See FDA
guidance
"Claims that can be made for conventional foods and
dietary
supplements:"
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/hclaims.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FTC Reports on False Label Claim
Settlement
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On March 6, 2002, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
reported that Wonder Bread marketers settled FTC
charges
that a Wonder Bread label claim was unsubstantiated.
According to the FTC report, the Wonder label
purported that
calcium helps children's minds work better and helps
memory.
The settlement allows Wonder to make only claims
specifically
permitted by the FDA. Read FTC news release:
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2002/03/wonderbread.htm
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
FYI TIP: Food manufacturers can:
~ use already established label claims
~ petition FDA to authorize "new" label claims
~ make label claims based on an authoritative
statement
from a scientific body of the US Government or
the
National Academy of Sciences
The Food Consulting Company will review label claims
and
counsel food labelers to assure claims are compliant
with FDA
and FTC regulations.
© Food Consulting Company, 2002. |