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Products containing olive oil will now be able to tout their health benefits against coronary heart disease on their labels.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced November 1 that such products could claim on their labels that people who eat about two tablespoons (23 grams) of olive oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
According to the FDA, limited, but not conclusive evidence exists to suggest that consumers may reduce their risk of coronary heart disease if they consume monounsaturated fat from olive oil and olive oil-containing foods in place of foods high in saturated fat, while at the same time not increasing the total number of calories consumed daily.
"With this claim, consumers can make more informed decisions about maintaining healthy dietary practices," said Dr. Lester M. Crawford, Acting FDA Commissioner. "Since coronary heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women in the U.S., it is a public health priority to make sure that consumers have accurate and useful information on reducing their risk."
This is the third qualified health claim FDA has announced for conventional food since the process for establishing such claims took effect last year.
Source: Medical Week Staff week of November 6, 2004
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