Omaha, NE—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) informed ConAgra Foods, Inc. that it will allow a qualified health claim linking whole grains with reduced risk of type-2 diabetes. The decision comes after the company petitioned the agency in 2012 to use a similar claim in its own wording. The new allowable health claim wording is very cautious, however, and FDA will assess on an individual basis whether any instances of the claim on food packaging are misleading to consumers.

In labels on foods that contain whole grains and no other types of grain, and that meet other requirements, a claim can read, “Whole grains may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, although the FDA has concluded that there is very limited scientific evidence for this claim.” Another similar claim is also allowed, one which simply excludes the word “although” and begins a second sentence with “FDA has concluded…”

Some, including ConAgra, view the decision as at least a step in the right direction, especially since the first thing consumers would see when reading this claim is the potential link between whole grains and reduced diabetes risk.

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, November 2013 (online 10/2/13)