Causecast

by CLAIRE GRINTON, Contributing Writer

The proliferation of health claims on food packaging has reached a tipping point for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On Tuesday, the FDA announced plans to reassert their presence by addressing potentially misleading food labels, just one of many recent actions taken by the organization.

The frustration with these labels, and the reason they’ve been used for so long, is partially because of the symbols used to demarcate the packages. While a banner or a ribbon may actually just mean that it’s high in omega-3 fats and thus beneficial for heart health (an approved, correct correlation), they’re often simplified so far that consumers are only getting the message that it’s healthy, when the product might also be sky high in sugar content. As a result, the FDA is taking on a number of popular, symbol-based labels, such as the Smart Choices food rating program, which seems to be the FDA’s main focus. They argue that the Smart Choices program misleads consumers into thinking that the entire product is a healthy choice, when in reality many of the Smart Choices foods are not smart choices at all due to components such as sugar, fat, or sodium content.

The FDA plans to create a new set of rules, a kind of nutritional gold standard for healthy products. In the meantime, protect yourself by looking for more than a label certification, but actually looking at the nutritional facts. Check the ingredients list to see where items like sugar lie in the list—if its one of the top five ingredients, you might want to reconsider the purchase, and don’t forget it’s not just sugar. Pretty much anything that ends in “ose” (like maltose, dextrose, sucrose, high-fructose) as well as honey, fruit juice concentrate, and corn syrup are also added sugars to avoid. When considering fiber and protein, make sure you look at the fat content for these products as well.

The FDA’s job includes listening to consumers and their needs—write to them about misleading food labels and show your support for their new action on the topic at:

Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305)
Food and Drug Administration
5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1061
Rockville, MD 20852

Reference your letter with “Guidance for Industry: Letter Regarding Point of Purchase Food Labeling. Your input will directly influence the FDA’s action and ensure that misleading labels based in marketing will not hoodwink the America public.

Lastly, contact the brands who are making their own potentially misleading certifications and let them know your concern, whether it’s Kraft’s Sensible Solution, PepsiCo’s SmartSpot, or the Smart Choices Program. You have a say in this issue, and the FDA is here to listen. Be heard!

Photo by Travis Hornung, flickr.