Katie Bond Quoted in a Nutritional Outlook Article on FDA’s Proposal to Redefine ‘Healthy’

Keller and Heckman Partner Katie Bond was quoted in the Nutritional Outlook article, “Healthy conversation: Where FDA’s “healthy” update stands—and what industry’s doing about it.” The article discusses FDA’s proposal to change the nutrition standards it requires of foods pursuing a “healthy” label claim. FDA announced the rewrite last September, and now “since the comment period has closed,” said Katie, “we have had a chance to review what commenters had to say.” Several major food companies submitted comments making “compelling points” on the matter, said Katie.

Katie views the proposed standards with caution, noting that “to suppress a truthful ‘healthy’ claim, FDA would have to show that, one, it has good reason to do so, and, two, the claim is so misleading that it can’t be cured by additional disclosure.” She then added, “FDA hasn’t met either burden. It’s seeking to prohibit healthy except in narrow circumstances without first showing either a substantial public-health benefit or that ‘healthy’ claims with qualifiers would necessarily be deceptive.” 

To read the full article, please click here.