Tackling obesity the FDA way
in food labeling along with research priorities for discussion at
an upcoming review on its role in tackling obesity.
The Food and Drug Administration has highlighted possible changes in food labeling as a topic for discussion at an upcoming review on its role in tackling obesity.
The event, open to both industry and consumers, will also look at research priorities to support further development of healthy foods and investigate childhood nutrition.
The agency has this year shown new efforts to tackle the obesity epidemic and announced regulation to ban trans fats, associated with obesity, from foods. But the National Food Processors Association (NFPA), voice of the $500 billion food processing industry, today filed comments with the FDA opposing nutrition label footnotes on trans fat.
Dr Rhona Applebaum, NFPA's executive vice president, said: "It appears FDA's assumption is that one of the primary purposes of a footnote is to educate consumers. We respectfully disagree with this premise. Consumers must be educated about the need to restrict their intake of trans fat using tools more effective than a label footnote."
Dr Applebaum continued: "Informing is not educating; we need to remember that. The food label is first and foremost an information tool. Educating consumers about nutrition requires other tools."
She added that selecting trans fat for extra labeling did not make sense and that it would be difficult to know when and where to stop with labeling.
The agency has also outlined for discussion at the meeting the available evidence on the efficacy of education campaigns.
'Based on the scientific foundation available today, what are the most important things that FDA could do that would make a significant difference in efforts to address the problem of overweight and obesity?' prompts the meeting program.
The natural products industry will likely have some suggestions. Those interested in attending the meeting, sponsored by the FDA Obesity Working Group and chaired by FDA Deputy Commissioner Lester M. Crawford, should register by October 17, 2003 either online or via email.
Currently nearly two out of three American adults and about 15 per cent of children are overweight or obese. The figures are much higher among Hispanic and African Americans. At least 17 million Americans have type 2 diabetes.
