Food Structure/Function Claims Consumer Research Needed - Nutritionist
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Substantiation for structure/function claims on foods should include evidence of consumers' interpretation of the claims, a nutrition professor suggested at an Institute of Medicine forum on food-based structure/ function claims in Washington, D.C. April 26.
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Substantiation for structure/function claims on foods should include evidence of consumers' interpretation of the claims, a nutrition professor suggested at an Institute of Medicine forum on food-based structure/ function claims in Washington, D.C. April 26. "I believe that we should have some consumer science, not just basic laboratory and/or clinical science, involved in this," said Joanne Lupton, PhD, Texas A&M University. "We really ought to know what that health claim or what that structure/function claim means to the typical consumer." A lack of consumer understanding about nutrient content, structure/function and health claims on foods was cited by several speakers from consumer research and advocacy groups who suggested shoppers do not distinguish among the three types of claims. Lupton called for the same level of scientific substantiation for both structure/function and health claims. "We don't say that we're going to give 'A' science to the health claims but we're going to allow 'B-minus' science for structure/function claims. It needs to be top quality science," she said. Structure/function claims should be prohibited for foods that are not generally healthy, she suggested. "With the health claims, there are disqualifying levels of total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. I don't see why they shouldn't apply to structure/ function claims also." Claims "should identify those factors, other than dietary intake of that particular substance, that affect the structure/function relationship," Lupton added. "In other words, if they only work on low-fat diets, that should be spelled out." FDA Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition Consumer Studies Team Chief Alan Levy, PhD, suggested the negative effect claims have on consumers' search for additional nutrition information about a particular product may justify imposition of certain minimum standards for foods carrying structure/function claims. He cited research that found consumers who saw claims on the front of food packaging were less likely to read the "Nutrition Facts" box on the back of the product, leading them to overlook relevant health information. |