Food Labeling: FDA Needs to Reassess Its Approach to Protecting Consumers from False or Misleading Claims

United States. Government Accountability Office.

United States. Government Accountability Office.

关键词: Government accountability -- United States.;    business regulation and consumer protection;    agriculture and food;    food labeling;    letter report;   

RP-ID  :  GAO-11-102
RP-ID  :  314490

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees federal requirements to prohibit false or misleading food labels; the Federal Trade Commission enforces the prohibition against false or misleading advertising. By statute, health claims on food labels must have significant scientific agreement, but in 2002, in response to a court decision, FDA decided to allow qualified health claims with less scientific support. Structure/function claims refer to a food's effect on body structure or function and are also used on food. Congress directed GAO to study FDA's implementation of qualified health claims for food. GAO examined (1) the results of FDA's efforts to allow the use of qualified health claims and oversight of these claims and (2) consumers' understanding of the claims. GAO also examined FDA's oversight of structure/function claims. GAO reviewed FDA documents and consumer studies and interviewed stakeholders from health, medical, industry, and consumer groups."