More foods can carry 'healthy' label

FDA Consumer, July-August, 1998

Some canned and frozen fruits and vegetables, as well as certain cereal-grain products, may now carry the term "healthy" on their labels, according to an FDA final role.

Since 1994, the agency has allowed the term "healthy" on foods that are low in total fat and saturated fat, meet limits for sodium and cholesterol, and contain at least 10 percent per serving of the recommended daily intake of at least one of the following nutrients: vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, protein, and fiber.

Recognizing that raw fruits and vegetables can contribute significantly to a healthy diet, the rule specified that raw produce could be labeled "healthy" without the 10 percent nutrient contribution if it met the other requirements.

Under the new rule, published March 25, canned and frozen fruits and vegetables can also qualify nutritionally for the term without meeting the 10 percent requirement. However, they must not contain ingredients that would change their nutritional profile. Enriched grain products can also be labeled as healthy under similar conditions if they conform to standards of identity, which define certain required ingredients.

The new rule is intended to encourage people to eat more of the foods recommended for good health in the U.S. Dietary Guidelines.

Taking the pressure off ... Eating less salt and losing weight are safe and effective ways to lower blood pressure in the elderly without drugs, according to research conducted at Tulane University in New Orleans. In a study of 875 men and women ages 60 to 80, researchers found that patients who both towered salt intake and lost weight had a 53 percent reduced risk of experiencing one of three outcomes: getting hypertension, taking hypertension medication, or having a heart attack or stroke. (Journal of the American Medical Association, March 18)