Why Is the FDA Picking On Cherries?

Life Extension.org ^ | March 2006 | (Author's name withheld due to the controversial nature of this article.)

[MRMEAN]

George Washington cut down one tree. Bureaucrats in Washington, DC, are trying to pull up the whole orchard. On October 17, 2005, letters went out from the Food and Drug Administration warning cherry purveyors that they had better quit telling people that cherries have health benefits or dire things are going to happen. The lucky recipients were warned that it's illegal to say things like, "The same chemicals that give tart cherries their color may relieve pain better than aspirin and ibuprofen." estimonials such as "I no longer take any drugs!" had better cease-or else.

Although most of the 29 letters were aimed at Michigan cherry growers, some were fired off to growers of other berries in other states. What prompted the berry attack is still at large. Inquiries to the office of Judith Putz, compliance officer for the FDA's Detroit district office, didn't yield answers beyond that the FDA had become aware that people were "making claims." The action is not unprecedented, however. Back in 2001, somebody at Food and Drug got bugged about a different berry-the cranberry.

At that time, a letter was fired off to the king of cranberries, Ocean Spray, telling the company that, despite recommendations of the Surgeon General and the National Research Council, it had better quit repeating the story that eating foods high in plant nutrients may protect against some types of cancer and strokes. The alleged criminal acts had occurred on Ocean Spray's website. Normally, the FDA has no authority over websites, but the company had put its website address on its products, and the agency does have authority over labels. On the theory that the website was now part of the label, the agency moved to censor what Ocean Spray was saying...

[PastorBooks]

As Rush says, "Follow the money." Someone is losing money whenever a natural health remedy is promoted. Find out who it is and you've got your answer.

[mtbopfuyn]

Someone is losing money whenever a natural health remedy is promoted.

Exactly. Amazing how humans have managed to survive thousands of years without drug companies.

[Mrs. Darla Ruth Schwerin]

"On October 17, 2005, letters went out from the Food and Drug Administration warning cherry purveyors that they had better quit telling people that cherries have health benefits or dire things are going to happen."

THEY DO, you FDA people. I don't remember the exact benefits of cherries, according to my long ago nutrition class, but they certainly taste good, and that's at least one health benefit. As is quite obvious here, the FDA's concern is that we buy more of their prescribed drugs, and thereby allow them to pocket more money. After all, they can patent their silly drugs, but they cannot patent those food items that are naturally grown. Dire consequences? They are like the ones the spineless media puts forth. Attack, attack attack. Just shut up the opposition, by using any method that works...