Posted on 06/21/2009 3:41:49 AM PDT by Zakeet
The latest verdict from the Food and Drug Administration is that Cheerios is a drug. Parents, then, must be drug pushers.
The FDA sent a warning to Cheerios maker General Mills Inc. that it is in serious violation of federal rules.
"Based on claims made on your product's label, we have determined that your Cheerios Toasted Whole Grain Oat Cereal is promoted for conditions that cause it to be a drug because the product is intended for use in the prevention, mitigation, and treatment of disease" the FDA letter said. "[Cheerios] may not be legally marketed with the above claims in the United States without an approved new drug application."
If the FDA were to win its enforcement action against Cheerios, all the boxes would have to be pulled from grocery-store shelves, and children could only get their morning "fixes" with a prescription from their doctors.
Two claims on the Cheerios cereal box upset the FDA: "Cheerios is clinically proven to reduce cholesterol 4 percent in 6 weeks" and, "Cheerios can help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, by lowering the 'bad' cholesterol."
Susan Cruzan of the FDA's press office told The Washington Times the FDA is not objecting to the fact that clinical studies do, in fact, find that Cheerios do what General Mills claims. What concerns the FDA, according to Ms. Cruzan, is, "This is a food product, and they do have a health claim."
[Snip]
This is a prime example of the nanny state running amok. Only the government would work to classify a breakfast cereal as a drug for the offense of having correct information on its label.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
In 1995, Quaker Oats petitioned the FDA for approval for a "heart health" claim, which was received in 1997.
Thank you! Simply ingesting food itself, I'd like the FDA to explain how one can survive without eating, the ultimate in *health concerns*.
How is it possible that Wonder Bread ("Helps build bodies twelve ways") has managed to skate all these years? [/sarc]
The FDA is looking for a bribe.
Therefore, the FDA controls everything. Mission accomplished.
Yeah, I think you are onto something here. I look at it this way: These FDA folks are all human beings like us, which means they think at least SOMEWHAT like us. So, imagine yourself in one of those meetings where they discuss this, and someone in the room makes this “they are making a drug claim” comment. 30 years ago everyone in the room would have said the person was nuts. They already admitted the claim was absolutely true.
This is overly proactive nanny state protection. And there is almost certainly an ulterior motive.
((Snicker)) to be taken with calcium..
Advertisements and vitamins~
If cheerios had made the same “fda disclaimer” that other companies are forced to do, this wouldn’t have happened.
Them General Mills boys must notta been supportin’ enough of The One last fall....
ping for government stupidity.
Well done.
I wonder who got a burr under their A__ for General Mills and Cheerios? It isn’t like this hasn’t been a claim for some time and it sure isn’t like the General Mills attorneys didn’t consider this before making the claims.
You know why.
If the FDA used them, we wouldn't have this problem.
I think so, too. Probably Cheerios didn't "apply" (read: send in the "application fee") to the FDA, as Quaker did.
Of course, there is the unhappy possibility that I could be wrong.
Hide the TV remotes...
It has worked wonders for me...You can’t even see the bruises anymore...;-)
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