Misleading Labeling of Food Targeted
Food products are prohibited by federal law and regulations from containing misleading or false claims on packaging or in advertising. The enforcement of these laws has been lax in the past eight years or so.
Now, under the Obama administration, a pattern of more rigorous regulatory action is evolving, particularly at the Federal Trade Commission and the FDA.
In a recent crackdown on false and misleading claims on food packages, the Food and Drug Administration has sent warning letters to 17 producers for making what it alleges are misleading statements about nutrition and health benefits.
The warning letters apply to 22 products and challenge labeling language on such issues as fat content, nutrient standards and the purported ability of a particular food to prevent medical problems. The increased enforcement was applauded by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the nonprofit advocacy group which recently released a report documenting purported labeling abuses.
Among the targets of the FDA action was a label for Mrs. Smith's Coconut Custard Pie, produced by Schwan's Consumer Brands North America of Bloomington, Minn. It advertised that the pie contained no trans fat, but did not disclose that it contained significant levels of saturated fat and total fat.
Diamond Food of Stockton was cited for making claims that its shelled walnuts warded off maladies such as arthritis, cancer and heart disease.
The agency also issued an industrywide challenge to upgrade the quality of nutrition labeling. FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg released a "Dear Industry" letter in which she invited food producers to collaborate on improving nutrition information, particularly on the front of food labels, where consumers are most likely to see it.
