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Has Cheerios been deceiving us about it true health benefits? With the recent claims made by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, this is a question that has been receiving a lot of attention in the media.
The cereals box claims that you could “lower your cholesterol 4 percent in six weeks” by consuming this product. However, the FDA states that “companies are not allowed to claim a specific degree of risk reduction”. In a letter dated May 5th, the FDA warned General Mills that the cereal’s current labeling stating its "clinically proven to help lower cholesterol" actually makes the product a drug under federal law. The letter also warns General Mills that the cereal “may not be legally marketed with these claims in the United States without an approved new drug application”.
General Mills spokesman Tom Forsythe said the Cheerios box's message, which states that the cereal can "lower your cholesterol 4% in six weeks", has been used for more than two years. The box cites a clinical study involving Cheerios as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol. The company is currently working with the FDA to try to reach a resolution for its labeling.
Cheerios shares the breakfast table with millions of households every day and has been a household name for over sixty years. Back in 1941, Cheerios made its first appearance as a ready-to-eat oat cereal under the name “Cheerioats”. It wasn’t until the late 1940’s that General Mills decided to change the cereal’s name to Cheerios. Studies done back in 1989 had revealed that oat bran may reduce cholesterol and the cereal promptly began utilizing these research results in its advertising.
Fast forward to the late 1990’s when the Food and Drug Administration issued the first health claim confirmation stating that “Cheerios and other oat products can lower the risk of heart disease”. It was during this same time frame that the cereal box began featuring the American Heart Association’s seal of heart and checkmark showing it had met the AHA guidelines for food certification.
What do you think about the FDA letter to General Mills? Should the cereal company change its labeling on Cheerios? Please share your thoughts and comments.
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Comments
More concerning is the “Unapproved New Drug” statement in the warning letter to General Mills. Our laws state that only a “drug” can prevent, mitigate or treat disease. DSHEA (dietary supplement health education act) helps a little but we have a long way to go. Glad the FDA is watching for misleading health claims, but when the guiding principle is around the definition of a drug, something needs to change. Even the Cherry Industry had their hands slapped.
Thank goodness there is more than one way to spread information about the true health benefits of food.
Celeste
www.Cr-eatingBalance.com
Hi Celeste. Thank you for your comments. I really appreciate it. The "What’s Your Food IQ?" quiz on your website is a great tool for people to test their knowledge about food and nutrition. Thanks for sharing your site. Best wishes, Kellie
Thanks Kellie! And thank you for mentioning the quiz! :)
Regards,
Celeste
Obviously the Federal Law cited by the FDA needs to be changed! Good grief!!
Hi Craig. I appreciate your comments. Thanks for reading and best wishes to you.
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