Tweet
Counterfeit carbohydrate claims
Today, consumers often see foods labeled with words such as "low," "reduced," or "free" to describe the amount of carbohydrate in a product. The FDA is aware that many processed food manufacturers are making such claims in response to consumer interest in popular low carbohydrate diets.
These claims are nutrient content claims (i.e., they characterize the amount of a nutrient, carbohydrate, in a food) and must be made in accordance with an authorizing regulation. Currently, the FDA's regulations do not define any terms to describe the amount of carbohydrates in food, although the FDA has defined several terms to describe the amount of other nutrients in food (e.g., "light," "low fat," "reduced calorie," "sugar free," and "low cholesterol"). It seems the way in which carbohydrates are counted today varies widely among manufacturers. Items currently labeled as having no carbs or reduced carbs may actually have just one gram less than their full carb counterparts. And products containing the sugar substitute, maltitol, often don't include this ingredient in their total carb content - a practice the FDA insists is misleading.
The FDA has received petitions from the industry asking the FDA to define certain terms to characterize the level of carbohydrates in food for use in carbohydrate nutrient content claims, including "low carbohydrate," "reduced carbohydrate," and "carbohydrate free." For example, the Grocery Manufacturer’s of America, which represents most major food brands, is lobbying the FDA to define low-carb as 9 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams of food. Other groups, however, such as the Centers for Science in the Public Interest, argue that low-carb should be defined as 6 grams per serving, and reduced-carb foods should have at least 25 percent fewer carbohydrates than full-carb versions. To ensure that these claims are consistent with other nutrient content claims and are not false or misleading, the FDA has filed these petitions in accordance with its regulations and intends to initiate rulemaking proceedings for nutrient content claims for carbohydrate. In addition, the agency intends to provide guidance to food manufacturers on the use of the term "net" in relation to the carbohydrate content of food.
Bottom Line: Until the FDA establishes the guidelines for labeling a product as "low-carb" or "reduced-carb" be cautious of a product's carbohydrate content claim, as they have no defined meaning.
Today, consumers often see foods labeled with words such as "low," "reduced," or "free" to describe the amount of carbohydrate in a product. The FDA is aware that many processed food manufacturers are making such claims in response to consumer interest in popular low carbohydrate diets.
These claims are nutrient content claims (i.e., they characterize the amount of a nutrient, carbohydrate, in a food) and must be made in accordance with an authorizing regulation. Currently, the FDA's regulations do not define any terms to describe the amount of carbohydrates in food, although the FDA has defined several terms to describe the amount of other nutrients in food (e.g., "light," "low fat," "reduced calorie," "sugar free," and "low cholesterol"). It seems the way in which carbohydrates are counted today varies widely among manufacturers. Items currently labeled as having no carbs or reduced carbs may actually have just one gram less than their full carb counterparts. And products containing the sugar substitute, maltitol, often don't include this ingredient in their total carb content - a practice the FDA insists is misleading.
The FDA has received petitions from the industry asking the FDA to define certain terms to characterize the level of carbohydrates in food for use in carbohydrate nutrient content claims, including "low carbohydrate," "reduced carbohydrate," and "carbohydrate free." For example, the Grocery Manufacturer’s of America, which represents most major food brands, is lobbying the FDA to define low-carb as 9 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams of food. Other groups, however, such as the Centers for Science in the Public Interest, argue that low-carb should be defined as 6 grams per serving, and reduced-carb foods should have at least 25 percent fewer carbohydrates than full-carb versions. To ensure that these claims are consistent with other nutrient content claims and are not false or misleading, the FDA has filed these petitions in accordance with its regulations and intends to initiate rulemaking proceedings for nutrient content claims for carbohydrate. In addition, the agency intends to provide guidance to food manufacturers on the use of the term "net" in relation to the carbohydrate content of food.
Bottom Line: Until the FDA establishes the guidelines for labeling a product as "low-carb" or "reduced-carb" be cautious of a product's carbohydrate content claim, as they have no defined meaning.
Comment