Health claims describe a relationship between a food substance and a disease or health-related condition. Due to the nature of such claims and the complexity of the science upon which such claims are made, the FDA carefully regulates health claims. Under the provisions of NLEA, the FDA has approved twelve specific health claims, and also provided a framework for additional specific claims to be approved as nutritional science evolves. Since NLEA, other processes have been established that allow food manufacturers a more efficient process to obtain approval for making a health claim. The Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act (FDAMA) was passed in 1997. Under FDAMA, upon successful submission of a "notification," a health claim may be made for a food based on an authoritative statement
Nutritionally altered to contain at least 25% less of a nutrient, or of calories, than the reference food. Reduced claim cannot be made if it is already labeled low.
Fat
Saturated Fat
Sodium
Cholesterol
Calorie
"Less"
Contains 25% less of a nutrient, or of calories, than the reference food.
Fat
Saturated Fat
Sodium
Cholesterol
Calorie
"Light"
One-third fewer calories, or half the fat, of the reference food. If the food derives 50% or more of calories from fat, the reduction must be 50%.
Calories
Fat
"Light in Sodium"
Sodium has been reduced by at least 50%.
Sodium
"More"
Contains at least 10% of the Daily Value of the nutrient present in reference food. "Fortified," "enriched," "added," "extra," and "plus" are all synonyms of "more."
Vitamins and Minerals
Dietary Fiber
Protein
of a scientific body of the U.S. government or the National Academy of Sciences. The passage of this law has provided an opportunity for additional health claims, and for food manufacturers to efficiently communicate to consumers information about the relationship between foods and health.
Nutrient Content Claims
Nutrient content claims, such as "high in calcium" or "lite," are a form of advertising used to highlight the levels of key nutrients, cholesterol, fiber, or calories in the products being labeled. The claim is usually placed on the front side of the package so it is visible to the shopper wanting to make quick comparisons among food products. As a result of NLEA, the FDA strictly regulates nutrient content claims. The regulations spell out which nutrient content claims are allowed and under what circumstances they can be used. There are eleven core terms: "free," "low," "lean," "extra lean," "high," "good source," "reduced," "less," "light," "fewer," and "more." In addition, there is a multitude of synonyms that may be used for each of these terms.
"Healthy"
Food labeling regulations allow manufacturers to make a "healthy" claim on the label. Due to the types of foods that are regulated by each agency, however, the FDA's definition of "healthy" is different from the USDA's definition. Under the FDA, "healthy" may be used if the food is low in fat and saturated fat and has a limited amount of sodium and cholesterol. In addition, single-item foods must provide at least 10 percent of one or more of vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium, protein, and fiber. Raw, canned, or frozen fruits and vegetables and certain cereal-grain products do not necessarily need to meet this criteria. These foods can be labeled "healthy" if they do not contain ingredients that change the nutritional profile and, in the case of enriched grain products, if they conform to the standards of identity, which call for certain required ingredients (vitamins, minerals, protein, or fiber). Meal-type products (those large enough to be considered a meal [6 ounces]) must provide 10 percent of the Daily Value of two or three of these ingredients, in addition to meeting the other criteria. The sodium content cannot exceed 360 mg (milligrams) for individual foods and 480 mg for meal-type foods.
General requirements for making a health claim.
All products carrying a health claim must meet general requirements for levels of nutrients that may be associated with the risk of chronic disease. Food products with high levels of total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, or sodium are not allowed to make a health claim. For individual foods, these levels are 13 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 60 mg of cholesterol, and 480 mg of sodium per standardized serving. For meal products, the levels are 26 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 120 mg of cholesterol, and 960 mg of sodium per label serving size. The levels for a main dish product are 19.5 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 90 mg of cholesterol, and 720 mg of sodium per label serving size.
Types of health claims.
Health claims can be made through third-party references (such as the National Cancer Institute), statements, symbols (such as a heart), and vignettes or descriptions. In all cases, the claim must meet
the requirements for authorized health claims. The claim cannot state the degree of risk reduction and can only use "may" or "might" in discussing the food–disease relationship and it must indicate other factors that play a role in the specified disease. The claim must also be presented in relationship to the overall diet. For example, it might say: "While many factors affect heart disease, diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of this disease."
Nutrition is a dynamic science. FDA and USDA food-labeling regulations are designed to be flexible enough to evolve with the science, yet they also provide the consistency consumers need to make sound food choices in the supermarket. Through NLEA, food manufacturers have an equal opportunity by which to market food products. Additionally, consumers have credible food labels so they make informed food choices based on the nutritional attributes of a food product.
