House health claims for foods bill same as Senate FDA reform provision.

HEALTH CLAIMS FOR FOODS BILL INTRODUCED BY REP. UPTON on July 22. The Consumers' Nutrition and Health Information Act (HR 2208) contains the same provision for health claims as the Senate FDA reform bill (S 830); the measure would allow manufacturers to make health claims on food labels without going through the FDA preapproval process as long as the claims are based on authoritative statements by federal scientific organizations such as the National Institutes of Health or the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention ("The Tan Sheet" June 23, p. 14). The manufacturer would be required to notify FDA of a proposed claim 120 days before it appeared on the market and submit to the agency an explanation of the basis for the claim.