[AlternatiaveMedicineForum] FDA to Lower Standards for Health Claims on Foods

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Misty L. Trepke

http://www..com

 

FDA to Lower Standards for Health Claims on Foods

 

The government wants to stop all " unproven " claims for any vitamin

or food supplement, but now wants to make it easier for industrial

food processors to make health claims for dead, over processed, fake

food made from food parts.

 

Back to the decade of the 80s, when if you wanted " health " you were

told to eat transfats (plastics) , etc., which was exactly what was

already causing the problem.

 

It seems that how the game is rigged is dependent on whether you are

a big business or only a little one.

 

This has been the norm for the last hundrred years, so this sounds

like business as usual to me.

 

As for the quote below about it equating to " The new FDA policy is

akin to allowing drug companies to make claims even if their

products haven't been proven effective " .

 

In my opinion, that happens most of the time and for the same

reasons.

 

Frank of .

 

 

 

http://www.cspinet.org/new/200307101.html

 

FDA to Lower Standards for Health Claims on Foods

 

Statement of CSPI Legal Affairs Director Bruce Silverglade

 

The Food and Drug Administration is poised to lower the standards

for making health claims on foods. Manufacturers will be able to

make claims about the health benefits of their products based on

preliminary scientific evidence that may not stand the test of time.

This action represents the biggest rollback in food-labeling

standards in 20 years.

 

Consumers don't want the federal government to authorize `wishy-

washy' health advice by food companies. The new FDA policy is akin

to allowing drug companies to make claims even if their products

haven't been proven effective.

 

The FDA's grading system for health claims is untested and shouldn't

be used until the agency has completed consumer behavior research

that shows that consumers will not be misled. The FDA is putting the

cart before the horse by allowing companies to make preliminary

claims with disclaimers before it knows whether consumers will be

deceived by the messages.

 

Food companies have been clamoring for weaker regulation for a

decade. The Bush FDA is finally giving them what they want,

notwithstanding the requirement that claims be accompanied by vague

qualifying statements. But many food companies are simply intent on

using the First Amendment as a license to practice quackery.

We are also concerned that the FDA's new procedures for authorizing

health claims does not meet the requirements of the law because the

agency is ignoring the formal approval process mandated by Congress.