Baking&Snack - November 2011 - 30

HEALTH CLAIMS

take advantage of any opportunity to the tout health claims that come naturally for their products. WORTH THE RISK. The requirements and challenge of fitting a health claim on a label may seem

daunting and not worth the risk of an FDA warning letter, but Ms. Sanders said she believes companies have a lot to gain from pursuing health claim labels. “I think consumers look for those messages,” she said. “When they’re

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looking for a specific product and they see those descriptors on the packages, then it helps them make a choice.” With today’s tightening budgets, she added, consumers are looking for their groceries to do more for them nutritionally, and including health claims on packaging helps them make informed choices to meet their families’ nutritional needs. Foods that make health claims must also qualify as containing low levels of negative nutrients such as fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium and high levels of a positive nutrient such as certain vitamins or minerals, protein, or fiber. “Some of the current health claims are not that hard to meet if you truly have a healthy food,” Ms. Meloan said. “If your food meets the requirements for ‘low fat,’ you already meet the health claim concerning dietary lipids and cancer, and you can make a statement such as, ‘Development of cancer depends on many factors. A diet low in total fat may reduce the risk of some cancers.’” The amount of information on label claims — health claims and nutrient content claims — can be overwhelming, and it is easy to get lost in the maze of online resources. For links to all information regarding regulations, petitions and a list of existing health claims, visit www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/ LabelClaims/default.htm. The Grocery Manufacturers Association offers seminars, conferences and resources to help food manufacturers break down food labeling at w w w.g maonline.org/resources/ gma-claims-program. AIB International also offers seminars and guidance on labeling, and if a company is still stuck, AIB has food labeling experts to assist with specific labeling needs. For more information, visit www.aibonline.org/researchandtechnical/ services/foodlabeling. ◾

BAKING & SNACK / November 2011

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Baking&Snack - November 2011

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