FDA to Let Food Ads Claim Health Benefits

WASHINGTON--The Food and Drug Administration plans to give the food industry a chance to make previously forbidden health claims for food on supermarket shelves, with the warning that if claims become outlandish, "we will come down on you--hard."

Outlandish or unsupportable health claims would lead at the very least to regulatory action against individual offenders, and widespread abuse could lead to a return to a flat ban, FDA Deputy Commissioner John A. Norris said.

"We will encourage, support and work with industry and consumers to formulate valid health messages to benefit the public," Norris said, outlining the plans in a recent speech at an industry seminar.

"But we will come down hard--and I do mean very hard--on any abuse of this option. We will not allow a few bad apples to spoil the sauce for the rest," he said.

The FDA's hand was forced on the issue by a successful marketing campaign launched for Kellogg's All-Bran cereal 19 months ago.

In October 1984, Kellogg's began shipping All-Bran in boxes whose labels cited National Cancer Institute advice that a diet high in fiber could reduce the risk of some types of cancer. It added that "bran cereals are one of the best sources of fiber."

The wording was worked out with the cancer institute and supported by the institute as an educational effort. It helped spark a continuing public interest in high-fiber food. But the suggestion that All-Bran might prevent cancer violated the FDA's ban on health claims.

FDA regulations forbid labeling that "represents, suggests or implies that the food ... is adequate or effective in the prevention, cure, mitigation or treatment of any disease or symptom."

The policy long has been that such health claims in effect try to sell foods as drugs. And drug sales are subject to strict approval standards--including advance testing for safety and effectiveness--to ensure that quacks don't make false claims that end up hurting people.