Cheerios is a drug....says the FDA

I recently wrote an article for my other online persona (that of the Baltimore Running Fitness blogger for Examiner.com) regarding the recent letter the FDA sent to General Mills company regarding the marketing of Cheerios (click here to read that article, it is much less opinionated). The FDA, based on how General Mills is marketing Cheerios has determined that Cheerios is potentially a drug. Not only a drug, but a new drug and must under go testing for approval to be consumed by people.

Confused yet? So was I until I read the FDA's letter (to read the letter from the FDA to General Mills click here). What I read was rather interesting. Here is my take on the letter:

What the FDA is telling General Mills that due to how, where on the box, the font size and color that General Mills is not following federal regulations regarding health claims. Health claims are allowed in marketing food products but companies still have to abide by certain guidelines. Apparently General Mills has claims that Cheerios can lower cholesterol in other places on the box, making it separate from the health claim. There is also a study that was done, I am assuming by General Mills, to back up their claim that the consumption of Cheerios can lower cholesterol. All of these things, according to the FDA, is why the marketing makes Cheerios appear to be like a drug. It isn't that they really think that Cheerios is a drug. They are simply making a point regarding the marketing and if a consumer really relies on Cheerios to lower their cholesterol enough so that they don't need to seek medical attention and it doesn't, a life could be lost.

Now, maybe I am not a normal consumer but if I read something on a box of cereal I am not necessarily going to believe it. On the other hand if I buy cereal because I want the toy and the toy isn't in the box then there will be retribution. But I digress. Back to Cheerios. I also read the fine print on most things and Cheerios has a disclaimer on their box and in their commercials as well that if Cheerios is consumed along with a healthy diet and exercise that it has been shown to decrease cholesterol. Not only that most consumers aren't going to realize what the regulations are and think that just because a couple of statements are seperate from the authorized health claim that it means something different. To us, the average consumer, it doesn't.

I like the fact that the government is looking out for us. This I think is a bit much. Cheerios has been using the exact same marketing for years and now suddenly it is an issue. I am always a bit skeptical when there is an issue that "suddenly" appears.

Check back either here or at my page with Examiner.com as I keep you updated on this interesting (at least to me) issue.