The FDA, which had previously announced its intention to publish a draft guidance on plant-based milk labeling by the end of June, said:The FDA will publish a draft guidance that is expected to be titled “Plant-based Alternative Milk Labeling and Voluntary Nutrient Statements: Draft Guidance for the Industry” in the near future.Draft Guidance is currently being reviewed by OMB.. [which has a standard review time of 90 days].. “
When asked when the FDA defines “health,” the FDA said:The FDA has drafted the proposed rule, which has been reviewed by the OMB.Two separate studies- Overview here-A symbol that companies can use for products that meet the definition of “healthy”In the near future“The agency added.
Plant-based milk labeling..
Terms such as “soy milk” and “oat milk” are banned in the EU (oats are oat drinks), but are widely used in the United States (oats are oat milk).And the FDA (according to critics) has fluctuated uselessly on the question of whether such terms mislead or violate shoppers. Federal standard of identity,The term “milk” “Chyle duct secretionsOf cows.
For example, the FDA referred to the term “soy milk” in warning letters to several manufacturers in 2008 and 2012, but has since maintained radio silence on this topic-FDA Commissioner Scott. Dr. Gottlieb Rekindled the debate in mid-2018At a meeting in Washington, he told the representatives:We have a standard of milk identity ..And I’m going to force it … Almonds are not lactic acid bacteria. “..
However, Mr. Gottlieb may need to address the First Amendment issue, and the FDA has implicitly approved such terms on food labels for years as “almond milk.” By suddenly banning terms such as “, you may face legal issues.”
A Request for information issued in September 2018Asking for feedback on this issue generated a dizzying number of comments, and milk producers said that the word “milk” was a dairy product, even if it was preceded by the word “almond”. It claims to falsely suggest that it is nutritionally equivalent. Meanwhile, the Good Food Institute and Plant Based Foods Association claim that there is no evidence that consumers are confused or assume that oat milk or almond milk exactly matches the nutrition of dairy products.
GFI tells Food Navigator-USA:GFI petitioned the FDA in 2017.... Common sense regulations that make it clear that compound names such as “oat milk” and “almond milk” are legal. Now is the perfect time for the FDA to approve the petition and resolve this issue altogether. “..
What is “milk”?..
FDA Identity Criteria The unqualified term “milk” is replaced by “A lacteal secretion that is virtually free of initial milk, obtained by completely milking one or more healthy cows...
According to plant-based brands, modifiers (eg almond milk) and additional modifiers (eg dairy-free, plant-based, non-dairy) are usually used. Clarify that they do not sell dairy productsSuch identity standards are designed to address fraud and financial misconduct, rather than preventing plant-based alternatives from fully referencing marketing standardized terms (such as milk). rice field.
Courts dealing with false advertising cases over plant “milk” tend to agree, Claim itThe Federal Identity Standards for Milk do not explicitly exclude companies from naming foods as follows: include The word “milk”.
for example, Case vs Trader Joe’sJudge Vince Chabria said the word “soy” before “milk” resolved the confusion about the contents of the package in question. “Trader Joe’s calls the products’soy milk’and is not trying to divert them as FDA-standardized foods (that is, milk). “..
On the issue of nutritional equivalence, Judge Stephen Wilson, who deals with false advertising cases against the Blue Diamond Growers (Almond Breeze) in California, said: Did not buy disputeThe word “milk” has certain nutritional expectations, and adds:If consumers are concerned about the nutritional value of their products, they can read the nutrition label … “..
What is healthy?..
Food labeling regulations have historically stated that “health” for foods with total fat of 3 g or less, saturated fat of 1 g or less (excluding fish and meat), cholesterol and sodium limits, and minimum nutrient requirements (vitamin A) to encourage. I have allowed “genuine” claims. , C, calcium, iron, protein, or fiber). There is no limit to sugar-additions or more.
However, the FDA revised its definition in 2016 after KIND Snacks challenged the definition of “healthy”, which immediately excludes healthy unsaturated fat-rich products such as nuts and avocados.
as a result, guidanceAllow “healthy” claims for high-fat productsIt mainly has a fat profile composition of mono- and poly-unsaturated fats. Or it contains at least 10% of the daily intake (DV) per normally consumed standard amount (RACC) of potassium or vitamin D. “..
FDA issued at the same time Requests for information from stakeholders regarding the use of the term healthSeptember 2016, Prompted Thousands of contradictory comments..
Dr. Marion Nestle:’We will be many products that meet the definition but are still junk food or a’better’choice’..
Several commentators have asked about the value of this exercise, including Oldways, the non-profit food and nutrition education organization best known for making whole grain stamps. Prompted to the FDA“Do not support the use of the word “health” at all, as the overall diet determines health, not individual foods, and certainly not individual nutrients...
Even the FDA New guidance.. “right.. Still, foods like brown rice are not eligible to be labeled as healthy. “Old Ways said:Regardless of the combination of nutritional standards that the FDA mandates to be healthy, it is inevitable that reductionist approaches will lead to efforts to game the system with enhanced manufactured foods, but some natural foods It may not be eligible. “..
If the FDA needs to provide a definition, he adds:Oldways recommends using this to emphasize whole or minimally processed plant-based foods. This is especially recommended in the 2015-2020 American Dietary Guidelines. ..[including fruits, vegetables, legumes/pulses, whole grains, vegetable oils if mostly unsaturated, herbs and spices, nuts, and seeds] Instead of linking the use of the word “health” to the prescription of nutrients. ” ..
Meanwhile, Dr. Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition, food science, and public health at New York University, told us at the time:All these problems are that the criteria are necessarily arbitrary and easy to avoid. We meet the definition, but still end up with junk food or many products that are a “better for you” choice. Better junk food may not yet be a good choice. “..
Bonnie Taub Dix, RDN, the author of BetterThanDieting.com, and the author of “Read Before Eating-Move from Label to Table” tells FoodNavigator-USA: “Looking at an individual piece of food and hitting a health icon on it is like expecting one instrument to play orchestral music.”..
Featured saturated fats, sugars and juices..
After reading the comments published in 2017, most stakeholders agreed that it made sense to abandon the total fat threshold, but not saturated fat. Cholesterol is also controversial, with the CSPI calling on the FDA to maintain cholesterol restrictions, and Unilever argued:Limit intake[dietary] Based on current scientific evidence, cholesterol is no longer a concern. “
But perhaps the biggest controversial bone is the addition of sugar, and some industry insiders, such as the Cranberry Institute, claim it is rich in nutrients.Fruits like cranberries sweetened for taste should not be discounted as sugaredAcademy of Nutrition and Nutrition “It strongly supports updating the “healthy” definition to limit the added sugar. “..
Juice also emerged as another source of controversy, and the CSPI argued that the FDA should not accept “healthy” claims about fruit juice.,Because consumers should be encouraged to eat “The healthiest fruit shape: whole fruit” The Juice Products Association begged for something different.
The FDA’s sound investigation lineSnack bar maker KIND has a rule that requires “healthy” foods to meet the criteria for “low fat” claims OutdatedHigh-fat foods that are known to be nutritious, such as nuts and avocados, are excluded, but low-fat, high-sugar foods are included.
FDA I agreedReassessing its terms of use for “healthy” nutrient content claims, Invite public comments For questions that include:
- What kind of food, If anyDo I need to allow the use of the term “health”?
- What other words or terms may be more appropriate (eg “nutritious”)?
- What do consumers understand as “healthy” when it comes to food?
Image credit: KIND
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