It's Not Snake Oil
— How to Make an Honest Health Claim
With increasing numbers of Americans paying close attention to the contents of the food they eat, food manufacturers are understandably eager to publicize the health benefits of their products. FDA allows food manufacturers to make health claims on food labels, but, perhaps not surprisingly, it is strict about how manufacturers make those claims, and all health claims require pre-approval.
First, what is a health claim?
A health claim is any claim on a label or labeling that expressly or impliedly characterizes a relationship between a substance and a disease or health-related condition. The claim may state that increased consumption of a particular substance reduces certain disease risks, or it may state that decreased consumption reduces that risk.
Read Jennifer's full article in Quality Assurance & Food Safety magazine.
