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FDA Balks At Cheerios' Health Claims
joker5656
Member Posts: 5,598 ✭✭✭
MMMM guess Big Pharma/Big Gov is at it again.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/05/12/health/main5009051.shtml
(AP) Federal regulators have scolded the maker of Cheerios, saying the company made inappropriate claims about the popular cereal's ability to lower cholesterol and treat heart disease.
The Food and Drug Administration said in a warning letter to General Mills that language on the Cheerios box suggests the cereal is designed to prevent or treat heart disease by lowering cholesterol. Regulators say that only FDA-approved drugs are allowed to make such claims.
Among other claims, the labeling states: "you can lower your cholesterol 4 percent in six weeks."
The FDA allows companies that market whole grain foods like Cheerios to highlight their ability to reduce the risk of heart disease. While the box carries that claim in the lower left hand corner, the language about cholesterol is much larger and appears separately - something the FDA does not allow.
Regulators also object to the company's claim that Cheerios can lower cholesterol by 4 percent, since companies are not allowed to quantify the benefit of their foods.
Additionally, companies that make claims about their whole grain foods are supposed to mention that fruits and vegetables are also part of a fiber-rich diet. General Mills' labeling does not include that information.
"Therefore, your claim does not convey that all these factors together reduce the risk of heart disease and does not enable the public to understand the significance of the claim in the context of total daily diet," states the FDA.
The warning letter, dated May 5, was posted to FDA's Web site Tuesday.
General Mills said the health claims on Cheerios have been approved for 12 years and the FDA's complaints deal with how the language appears on the box, not the cereal itself.
"The science is not in question," said spokesman Tom Forsythe in a statement. "The clinical study supporting Cheerios' cholesterol-lowering benefit is very strong."
Cheerios is the best-selling cereal brand in the U.S., with sales of $1.4 billion last year, according to General Mills.
The Minneapolis-based company said it would work with the FDA to address FDA's complaints. The warning letter asks the company to correct the problems within 15 business days of receipt.
The FDA regularly issues warning letters to companies that do not follow regulations for manufacturing and marketing. The letters are not legally binding, but the agency can take companies to court if they are ignored.
In recent years the FDA has begun cracking down on manufacturers who overstate the benefits of their products, amid increased demand for healthy foods.
Shares of General Mills Inc. rose 40 cents to $53.31 in morning trading.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/05/12/health/main5009051.shtml
(AP) Federal regulators have scolded the maker of Cheerios, saying the company made inappropriate claims about the popular cereal's ability to lower cholesterol and treat heart disease.
The Food and Drug Administration said in a warning letter to General Mills that language on the Cheerios box suggests the cereal is designed to prevent or treat heart disease by lowering cholesterol. Regulators say that only FDA-approved drugs are allowed to make such claims.
Among other claims, the labeling states: "you can lower your cholesterol 4 percent in six weeks."
The FDA allows companies that market whole grain foods like Cheerios to highlight their ability to reduce the risk of heart disease. While the box carries that claim in the lower left hand corner, the language about cholesterol is much larger and appears separately - something the FDA does not allow.
Regulators also object to the company's claim that Cheerios can lower cholesterol by 4 percent, since companies are not allowed to quantify the benefit of their foods.
Additionally, companies that make claims about their whole grain foods are supposed to mention that fruits and vegetables are also part of a fiber-rich diet. General Mills' labeling does not include that information.
"Therefore, your claim does not convey that all these factors together reduce the risk of heart disease and does not enable the public to understand the significance of the claim in the context of total daily diet," states the FDA.
The warning letter, dated May 5, was posted to FDA's Web site Tuesday.
General Mills said the health claims on Cheerios have been approved for 12 years and the FDA's complaints deal with how the language appears on the box, not the cereal itself.
"The science is not in question," said spokesman Tom Forsythe in a statement. "The clinical study supporting Cheerios' cholesterol-lowering benefit is very strong."
Cheerios is the best-selling cereal brand in the U.S., with sales of $1.4 billion last year, according to General Mills.
The Minneapolis-based company said it would work with the FDA to address FDA's complaints. The warning letter asks the company to correct the problems within 15 business days of receipt.
The FDA regularly issues warning letters to companies that do not follow regulations for manufacturing and marketing. The letters are not legally binding, but the agency can take companies to court if they are ignored.
In recent years the FDA has begun cracking down on manufacturers who overstate the benefits of their products, amid increased demand for healthy foods.
Shares of General Mills Inc. rose 40 cents to $53.31 in morning trading.
Comments
They will if you take one, hold it between yer knees! [:p]
Remember when we convinced our 4 yr old grandson that Cheerios were actually doughnut seeds.....
quote:Cheerios wont prevent pregnancies
They will if you take one, hold it between yer knees! [:p]
Remember when we convinced our 4 yr old grandson that Cheerios were actually doughnut seeds.....
Or sand burs were Porcupine eggs. Mine still have not hatched.
Cheerios wont prevent pregnancies either, those lying bastages.
Only when held tightly between the knees by the female.
quote:Originally posted by LaidbackDan
Cheerios wont prevent pregnancies either, those lying bastages.
Only when held tightly between the knees by the female.
I have had 10 of them surgically implanted into all of my daughters knees.
has O fired the head cheerio yet ?????????? or will that possibility go away with a large gift of stock options ?????
nope that will be coming along shortly, they haven't finished with the banks, health care, and Insurance agencies. think there number 20 on the list[:D].
"
YES!! GO FDA........way to monitor those new fangled cereals right out of the gate!!!! CHEERIOS????? R U F'en KIDDING ME? Where were you * nozzles 40 years ago or whenever the hell they came to market??? Smells like somebody is trying to establish credibility before the whole CODEX fiasco begins, or just repair a damaged reputation. Anyone reading this needs to check out a youtube video that is related and will effect you and your children very seriously
"
I don't know how long Cheerios have been on the market, but that was my grandmother's last meal. She died in the 1930s.
... that was my grandmother's last meal. She died in the 1930s.
Holly crap DONT eat the Cheerios, they killed James' grandma [:0][:0][:0]
Holly crap DONT eat the Cheerios, they killed James' grandma [:0][:0][:0]
[:D] [:D] [:D]
I can't prove that's what killed her, but my mother wouldn't eat a Cheerio after that. She didn't like to have them in the house. [:D]