FDA obesity plan may help low-cal food manufacturers
benefit from the government's growing desire to tackle obesity.
Obesity has increased dramatically in the US in recent years - about 64 per cent of Americans are overweight and more than 30 per cent are obese. These figures have also swelled healthcare costs.
According to a recent study carried out by the nonprofit group RTI International and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity-related US medical costs reached $75 billion in 2003 with taxpayers paying up to $175 annually to foot the bill.
But last month a special working group set up by the Food and Drug Administration, recommended that the agency focus on 'calories count', as the basis of its obesity campaign.
A recent qualified health claim suggests that this focus on calories has already begun, says director of scientific and nutrition policy at the Grocery Manufacturers of America, Alison Kretser.
"The caloric content of food had never been a consideration in health claims before. But the recently approved qualified health claim for walnuts is careful to stress that this food should not 'result in increased caloric intake'", she told NutraIngredientsUSA.com in an interview.
"As our members look to the future, they would do well to take note of this focus on 'calories count," she added.
The FDA Obesity Working Group's report, released in March, called for an advance notice of proposed rulemaking to gain public comment on how to give more prominence to calories on the food label.
And industry could even see a health claim for 'low-calorie' foods in the near future, said Kretser.
The introduction of qualified health claims has been heralded as a major opportunity for food firms to better communicate the health benefits of their products. But while claims have already been approved for cancer and heart disease, there are as yet no petitions for a food that could reduce calorie intake or help improve weight management.
Such claims may not be long coming however, although industry and regulators will have to find a way of communicating the need to balance energy intake, or calories, with energy expenditure, or exercise.
"I expect this energy balance to be the basis of a qualified health claim that can respond to the obesity issue," said Kretser.
Innovation in food ingredients is likely to help food makers use such a claim. Non-caloric sweeteners could offer strong potential for a 'low-calorie' claim, while the dairy industry is also working towards stronger claims on their products based on the evidence linking calcium-rich foods to reduced risk of obesity.
The introduction of qualified health claims will be pivotal to progress on this issue, helping both industry and the FDA's obesity campaign.
