F.D.A. Cracks Down on Nestlé and Others Over Health Claims on Labels

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday released 17 warning letters to food manufacturers, making good on a vow to crack down on misleading labels on food packages.

The agency accused the companies of pumping up the nutritional claims of their products or masking contents like unhealthy fats. The letters went out to the makers of a broad array of products, including Gerber baby food, Juicy Juice, Dreyer’s ice cream, POM pomegranate juice and Gorton’s fish fillets.

“The F.D.A. is not merely firing a shot across the bow; it is declaring war on misleading food labeling,” said Bruce A. Silverglade, director of legal affairs of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy group that had pushed for stricter rules.

The warning letters followed commitments last fall by the F.D.A. commissioner, Margaret A. Hamburg, who has made a priority of improving information for consumers on food packages.

Asked about the warning letters, Scott Faber, vice president for federal affairs at the Grocery Manufacturers Association, pointed to an open letter from Dr. Hamburg to the industry that was also released on Wednesday. In that letter, she pledged cooperation with food manufacturers in improving labeling.

“What’s significant today is that Commissioner Hamburg took the extra step of reinforcing her commitment to work with industry to develop a clear, science-based labeling system that is effective with consumers,” Mr. Faber said. The letters, sent last month but just made public, addressed a range of violations.

Several products were singled out for labels that boasted prominently that they contained no trans fat, even though they had high levels of saturated fat. The products included Gorton’s Fish Fillets, Spectrum Organic All Vegetable Shortening and two products from Dreyer’s, the Dibs bite-size ice cream snacks and the vanilla-fudge Drumsticks.

According to Dreyer’s, the Dibs contain 17 grams of saturated fat per serving. Federal guidelines recommend that a person not consume more than 20 grams in a day.

In the case of POM pomegranate juice, the agency said that the company’s Web site, which is listed on its bottles, carried misleading claims that the juice could prevent or cure diseases like hypertension, diabetes and cancer.

Such claims are not allowed on food products and would require that the juice be treated, in regulatory terms, as a drug, according to the letter sent to the company.

POM said that “all statements made in connection with POM products are true” and supported by scientific research.

It added, “We are currently reviewing the F.D.A.’s concerns and, as strong advocates of honest labeling and fair advertising, we are looking forward to working with the agency to resolve this matter.”

The letters also singled out some baby foods made by Gerber and Beech-Nut. The letters say that those foods make numerous health claims that are not allowed because appropriate dietary levels for the nutrients cited have not been established for children under 2 years old.

The F.D.A. said that the labels of some Nestlé Juicy Juice products implied they were primarily made of a single juice, like orange or tangerine, rather than a flavored blend of juices.

Nestlé, which owns Juicy Juice, said that it believed its labels complied with regulations but that it was working with the F.D.A. Dreyer’s and Gerber, which are also owned by Nestlé, said they were cooperating with the F.D.A. and would not comment beyond that.

Efforts to reach several companies were not successful.

Source: nytimes

A Child’s Allergies Are Serious but Can Be Treated Effectively

IT starts with a telltale sniffle, itchy eyes and an occasional cough. You think your little one is getting a cold, but the cold never comes while the runny nose seems never to leave.

“That could be a sign of allergies,” says Dr. Kevin Weiss, an expert on allergies and president of the American Board of Medical Specialties. Not a surprising diagnosis when you consider that more than 40 percent of children (and 20 to 30 percent of adults) suffer from allergic rhinitis, often simply called allergies. With spring pollen season just around the corner, parents are bound to hear more of those telltale sniffles.

Allergies are no trivial matter. Each year, allergic rhinitis accounts for two million missed school days and $2.3 million in health care costs for children younger than 12. It’s not unusual for allergy sufferers to spend thousands of dollars each year on doctor visits, medications and other products, says Dr. Linda Cox, an allergist practicing in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and a former committee chairwoman for the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

What’s more, Dr. Cox said, allergies left untreated in children can often lead to asthma, a chronic and debilitating pulmonary disease.

For the purposes of this article I’ll focus on allergic rhinitis, particularly among children. (The subject of food allergies may warrant a separate, future column.) The condition can be set off by outside elements like pollen from ragweed, grasses and trees and indoor allergens like dust mites and pet dander.

Combating allergies often requires a multipronged and sometimes costly approach. Here’s what you can do to make sure your child gets the best results.

THE RIGHT DOCTOR Most allergies can be identified and treated by a pediatrician or family doctor. The doctor will use blood tests and your child’s symptoms to come up with an educated guess on what is causing the problem.

“Mild allergies can be treated without a lot of testing,” Dr. Weiss said. New nondrowsy prescription and over-the-counter medications make it easier to treat symptoms, he added. Your child’s doctor should know which drugs are appropriate for children.

That’s good news, because allergists aren’t always part of an insurer’s network or covered under high-deductible plans.

Nevertheless, an allergist can best treat your child if symptoms become moderate to severe. If your child is extremely uncomfortable, losing sleep or missing a lot of school, and the current medications he or she is using aren’t working, you may need to take the next step. An allergist will most likely do a skin test to pinpoint exactly what your child is allergic to. This is often more precise than the blood tests and is usually covered by insurance.

To find an allergist, ask your pediatrician or family doctor for a recommendation or log onto the doctor locator sponsored by the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. If you’re covered by an H.M.O. or other health network, you’ll need to ask your primary physician for a referral.

ELIMINATE THE SOURCE After you and your child’s doctor have narrowed down the possible culprits, it’s time to reduce or remove the troublemakers. Many of the most effective ways to do this are labor-intensive but low in cost, said Dr. James Sublett, an allergist in Louisville, Ky., and professor of pediatric allergy and immunology at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

Keep your pet away from carpeted rooms, sleeping areas, upholstered furniture and other places where it becomes difficult or impossible to remove dander. Cats are the animals that cause the most allergy problems, and cat allergen can remain in a house for an average of 20 weeks after an animal is removed.

If you and your doctor suspect dust mites are a problem, remove drapes, stuffed animals, pet bedding, upholstered furniture and even carpeting from the bedroom. Wash linens frequently. Dust with a moist cloth or an electrostatic fabric duster. Both do a better job of actually collecting dust rather than just stirring it around. Remember: dust takes a couple of hours to settle after cleaning and vacuuming.

Tumble-drying stuffed animals on high heat for 20 minutes will also kill dust mites.

Get rid of any pest problems, like roaches or mice. Both can be huge allergy triggers. In addition, keep windows closed during peak allergy season.

CONSIDER IMMUNOTHERAPY Even after you’ve identified and tried to eliminate the source of your child’s allergies, he or she may still be suffering. If that happens, you may have to go for the shots.

Allergy shots have come in for criticism over the years because, well, they are shots and require repeat visits to the doctor’s office — two things children really don’t like.

And many parents may wonder — in some cases, rightfully, alas — whether the allergy doctor is overdiagnosing allergies and overtreating their children. Dr. Cox argues that allergists get to the root of the cause instead of just treating symptoms. General practitioners can prescribe medicines to treat symptoms without easing the condition, she says. In any case, it is important to get a referral from a pediatrician or family doctor whom you trust to do what’s right for your child.

A new study published last month in the peer-reviewed Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology found that allergy shots, also known as immunotherapy, could actually help eliminate allergy symptoms after only 18 months. What’s more, shots may help save you money in the long run. Among the children with allergic rhinitis studied, shots helped to reduce total health care costs by a third, and prescription drug costs by 16 percent, said Dr. Cox, who was a co-author of the study.

In immunotherapy, an allergist injects a small amount of the allergen into a patient. This prompts the body to make natural antibodies, which naturally increase one’s immunity to the culprit. “It is the only therapy that doesn’t just treat allergy symptoms but tries to get at the cause,” Dr. Cox said.

But because the allergist personally mixes the allergens according to a patient’s needs, the shots are not considered pharmaceuticals and are sometimes not covered by insurance.

The first year of allergy shots, which includes a three-month build-up period during which a child receives injections as often as twice a week until the proper dosage is found, would cost a bit less than $1,000 for the year, according to Dr. Cox. The next year, with twice-a-month injections, would total an estimated $350.

For parents who are uninsured and cannot afford shots for their children, Dr. Cox suggests contacting the state allergy society for a list of allergists and clinics that may offer low or no-cost treatments. (Because there is no clearinghouse for such information, you’ll probably have to do your own Web sleuthing.)

AVOID THE UNNECESSARY There’s no end to the number of products marketed to allergy sufferers, including air filters, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, ozone machines, mattress and pillow encasements, special breathing masks and more. Many of these products are expensive and some are ineffective. Ozone, for instance, can be a pollutant and actually worsen allergies, Dr. Sublett said.

Several studies show that there are no significant improvements from using mattress and pillow encasements and other allergy-fighting products. The best thing to do is to take the necessary steps to remove allergens like the ones discussed above.

source: nytimes