Posted on 06/25/2009 10:20:57 AM PDT by NYer
The Washington Times ran an editorial about the Food and Drug Administration's recent warning to General Mills, Inc. about two claims the company has placed on its Cheerios boxes.
The marketing copy for Cheerios Toasted Whole Grain Oat Cereal says that "Cheerios is clinically proven to reduce cholesterol 4 percent in 6 weeks" and that, "Cheerios can help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, by lowering the 'bad' cholesterol."
So what's wrong with that? Well, according to the FDA, that means Cheerios will now be categorized as drugs, and regulated as such.
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." Specifically, the agency objects to the preciseness of the claims, which she says would make the product classified as a drug. General Mills "could say 'heart disease,' but they are being specific and saying 'coronary heart disease,' " she explains.
The FDA is very strict about this stuff. Companies that sell supplements and produce food with health benefits -- even when there's science to support these benefits -- can't make specific claims as such on their labels. Only pharmaceutical drug companies, with the approval of the FDA, can do that.
I understand what might happen if marketers are allowed free-reign to make health claims about their products. But still... this is a big waste of money and time, especially considering the fact that the FDA acknowledges the truth of both of Cheerios' marketing statements.
Seriously, doesn't the FDA have better things to do?
Seriously, diet can affect your health!? [/sarc]
Of course in its FIRST court case the FDA went after: Coca-cola.... and lost. They kept up until they won.
My wife was never that easy.
That was my simplest craving. My worst was pork rinds dipped in Hershey’s Chocolate Sauce. Feel better? ;)
We had a thread where we discussed unusual pregnancy cravings. I won. lol
I don’t know and I won’t know because I am NOT giving up my bacon and eggs!
As comedian Jeff Wayne says, “Bacon and eggs takes five years off your life. F@cking take it! It’s worth the smell alone to me!”
"But the current standard for accuracy allows for a five percent testing error. And the current standard for precision allows for roughly a 10 percent error. Together, they mean that in 95 percent of cases, cholesterol test results may be as much as 15 percent higher or 15 percent lower than the actual value."
If the margin-of-error is 15% for the measurement, a 4% drop is not statistically significant.
The truth now how many of you started out like me just smok’n a bit of shreaded wheat out in the alley? Or maybe a bit of cream of wheat nose candy?
So that obnoxious female (”NO, I’m not trying to lose weight!!!”) and her wimpy husband (”Shut up, Steve”) in the commercials are on drugs, eh? Explains a lot.
I got a spare box in the cupboard and will let you have them for $150.
Oh, dear...
Oh, puleeze. It is a healthier food than say something coated with sugar. Morons.
I plan to roll about six Cheerios in a cig paper and smoke them.
(it will tie the FDA regulatory apparatus in knots for the next 13 years...)
FDA = Fascist Dictator Administration
Nobody’ll buy Cheerios at $100 a box.
I’m pretty sure they’ll just change the packaging.
They’ve already got a lot of brand loyalty.
Sure, but Obamacare will decide if you are eligible to receive Cheerios and in what quantities.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.