 | FDA due to expand oat heart health claim |
| 2/6/2007 |
| Oat products with a higher fat content could be eligible to carry a heart health claim, according to a new proposal by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Released last week, the proposal comes in response to a petition from PepsiCo's Quaker Oats Company, which said that some low-sugar oat products are ineligible for the claim.
Under current FDA regulations, products low in saturated fat and cholesterol and high in soluble fiber are able to claim that they reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. The fiber contained in whole oat is called beta-glucan soluble fiber, and is found in oat bran, rolled oats and whole oat flour.
However, although Quaker Oats' unmodified instant oatmeal products are eligible to bear the heart health claim, the firm's flavored, reduced sugar products are not because they do not meet the nutrient content requirement for ‘low fat'.
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