MEREDITH VIEIRA, co-host:
And now to the popular
breakfast cereal
,
Cheerios
. A lot of you are probably eating a bowl as I
speak
, but now its makers are under fire for the
FDA
for apparently
going too far
with the cereal's
cholesterol
-lowing -- lowering claims.
NBC
's chief science correspondent
Robert Bazell
has details.
ROBERT BAZELL reporting:
Cheerios
have been around so long that few remember life without them as a breakfast
option
.
BAZELL:
Recent ads have targeted adults because soluble
oat fiber
, a key component, can help reduce
cholesterol
.
BAZELL:
But......from the
Food and Drug Administration
to
General Mills
, the manufacturer, says the health claims have gone too far. The big problem is those claims about how much
cholesterol
can be reduced in how many weeks. They're repeated on the box. The
FDA
says those are drug-like claims that can only be made after studies have been submitted to the agency and approved. The statement
General Mills
said, "The science is not in question and we look forward to discussing this with the
FDA
and to reaching a resolution." But many nutrition experts say the three grams of
soluble fiber
in a typical serving the
Cheerios
is not the complete answer to controlling
cholesterol
.
Dr. LESLIE CHO (Cleveland Clinic):
Three grams of cereal in the morning isn't really going to help you. Now, it's obviously better than eating something that's very high in fat or high in sugar, but really we need to be mindful of our overall diet.
BAZELL:
Food experts say there is no question
Cheerios
is a healthy food, but the
Obama
administration's
FDA
is starting to take a harder look at product claims. For TODAY, Robert Bazell, NBC News, New York.
VIEIRA:
And Dr.
Nancy Snyderman
is the
NBC
's chief medical editor. Dr.
Nancy
, good morning to you.
Dr. NANCY SNYDERMAN reporting:
Hi, Meredith.
VIEIRA:
I sound like I have
Cheerios
in my mouth. I can't talk this morning. So
General Mills
, the maker of
Cheerios
, say, `
Look
, we've been using this message as a selling point for two years now about how
Cheerios
lowers
cholesterol
,' and they have also been using the message about the fact that the cereal is heart-healthy for 12 years. The
FDA
's known about that...
SNYDERMAN:
Right.
VIEIRA:
...and approved that. So why now make this an issue?
SNYDERMAN:
I think there's a new bureaucrat lurking in some basement closet. I have the letter here from the
FDA
. I have read it numerous times now basically wrist-slapping
General Mills
. There are two points they make. That
Cheerios
can't make this
claim
without saying, "and other plant foods." So whole grains "and other plant foods" can help reduce
cholesterol
and that they don't say
Cheerios
, as part of a low-
cholesterol
, low-fat diet. I think this is going to end up being a wrist-slap change your labeling, but enough.
VIEIRA:
So what does the research really show about
Cheerios
and its connection to having any impact on
cholesterol
?
SNYDERMAN:
Well, the interesting thing is we do know that whole grains can lower
cholesterol
, so I get that we have to have science to prove this, and this is a very interesting nexus now where the
FDA
is saying this product is almost claiming that it's a drug. And if you're going to
claim
that you're a drug, you have a higher bar to set. But I think there's going to be a lot of push-back from
Cheerios
precisely because of the 12 years -- like, look, we don't hurt anybody. There's not a safety issue here. If you eat a whole grain in addition to larger, better diet with fruits and vegetables, what's the
big deal
?
And I
think they are going to come to some mutual agreement where there's a labeling change on this and nothing else. But I was with a bunch of scientists last night, and I must say, a lot of scientists were saying, we get the need for research...
VIEIRA:
OK.
SNYDERMAN:
...but at some point, don't we have to worry about bigger issues like salmonella and
food chain
safety, etc., etc.? This is going to not look so good for the
FDA
I think in the long run.
VIEIRA:
All right, Dr.
Nancy Snyderman
.
SNYDERMAN:
Pick a good fight.
VIEIRA:
All right, and this ain't one of them.
SNYDERMAN:
This is not one of them.
“ ”