FDA Questions Health Claims On Labels

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said that it believes some of the health claims made on certain foods are misleading customers.

In the US, food products with health benefits contain Smart Labels, however, some campaigners have questioned the reliability of the labels as they appear on mayonnaise, sugary cereals and other “suspect” foods, reports the Associated Press.

The FDA claimed this week that the logos may be misleading consumers about the actual health benefits of cereal, crackers and other processed foods.

US manufacturers, including Kraft Foods, Kellogg’s and General Mills, introduced so-called Smart Choices products into the market last year, following growing concern about obesity rates.

However, FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg told the news provider: “There are products that have gotten the Smart Choices check mark that are almost 50 per cent sugar.”

The FDA announced that it is developing proposed nutritional standards that will have to be met before manufacturers place health claims on their packages.

Last month, a new report by the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council outlined how authorities needed to put a tax on junk food and soft drinks in order to curb the obesity epidemic in the US.