Labels, Labels- Don't Believe the Labels

Thanks to Marion Nestle

Finally, the FDA is beginning to crack down on food labels. The FDA issued a press release today targeting some food companies for their misguiding labeling with respect to health claims. Here are some excerpts from today’s FDA press release, “FDA Calls on Food Companies to Correct Labeling Violations; FDA Commissioner Issues an Open Letter to the Industry.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has notified 17 food manufacturers that the labeling for 22 of their food products violates the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act…In an open letter to Industry dated March 3, 2010, Dr. Hamburg underscored the importance of providing nutrition information that consumers could rely on.
…The violations cited in the warning letters include unauthorized health claims, unauthorized nutrient content claims, and the unauthorized use of terms such as “healthy,” and others that have strict, regulatory definitions.  Companies that received warning letters have 15 business days to inform the FDA of the steps they will take to correct their labeling.

Included in the press release is a nifty chart of the affected companies, their products, and the ways their claims violate FDA regulations. Also included in the report:

• Front-of-package labeling information
• Copies of the warning letters
• The letter from Dr. Hamburg to the industry
• Q and A, and
• Link to terms with strict, regulatory definitions

According to Marion the recent report by the  Center for Science in the Public Interest on violations of FDA regulations on food package labels, Food Labeling Chaos is the impetus.

The Bush administration's FDA was very lax, need I say negligent, in keeping the food companies honest with their package labeling and this is a much needed reversal for the FDA. Of course, if you follow Michael Pollan's rules for buying and consuming food you wouldn't by buying these products anyway. If you haven't already picked up a copy of Michael's latest Food Rules then you should. Simple, straight forward rules for buying and eating food. If you read In Defense of Food there won't be any surprises but it is a handy little guide for those that don't want to wade through the larger book.

Remember "Eat food, mostly plants, not too much." and if it comes in a package it is suspect. If it has more than 5 or 6 ingredients then skip it and finally if your great grandma wouldn't recognize it as food then it probably isn't.