Tell the FDA to BACK OFF and Get Real -- FDA Attacks Cheerios!

It appears the FDA is rattling their sabre once again when it comes to regulating the health claims of food products. This is nothing new for them, but this latest development is a red flag for all of us -- consumers, organic food growers, and companies that produce and market nutritional supplements. An article posted at gives a very interesting perspective on this issue from the legal standpoint, and it also offers some clues as to what FDA may really be up to behind the scenes.

The FDA sent a letter in May of this year to General Mills, manufacturer of Cheerios breakfast cereal, informing them that they have mislabeled the Cheerios product and are in violation of FDA regulations. Specifically, the FDA is charging General Mills with making erroneous claims on a website that is printed on the cereal box. The contested claims include statements that eating Cheerios can lower cholesterol, with clinical studies to prove it.

The FDA is upset for a couple of main reasons. First, they are accusing General Mills of leading consumers to believe that Cheerios is -- are you ready for this -- a drug, specifically an "unapproved" drug. What this says between the lines is that even a natural substance, such as whole-grains, is considered a drug by FDA standards and subject to regulation if any health benefits are linked to it.

The FDA has also stated that two claims in particular are at issue:

• "Heart-healthy diets rich in whole-grain foods can reduce the risk of heart disease."
• "Including whole grains as part of a healthy diet may reduce the risk of certain types of cancers. Regular consumption of whole-grains as part of a low-fat diet reduces the risk for some cancers, especially cancers of the stomach and colon."

The FDA is claiming that the above statements are too confusing for the American public to comprehend, that people cannot properly understand the context of the terms "healthy diet" or "low-fat diet."

From a legal standpoint, the attorneys who wrote this article are saying that these statements appeared to be in line with FDA regulatory standards, thus making the ruling ambiguous and open to a challenge.

From a practical perspective, these statements are simply facts about the known health benefits of eating whole grains, without any reference or claim to Cheerios or any other product. Not to mention that the FDA vastly underestimates the capability of people to understand and apply these facts to their own lives by their own free will. The really ludicrous thing is that if the FDA was truly concerned about our health they would be issuing statements such as those above themselves! How many meds have they approved and then had to recall because the drugs killed or maimed people?

The thing that we really need to pay attention to, according to these lawyers whose specialties include FDA law and regulations, is that by going after a prominent company such as General Mills, the FDA is sending an indicator of their intentions to everyone in the food and dietary supplement industries. If they can call Cheerios a drug, they are in essence calling whole grains, a natural food provided to us by our Creator, a drug also. When the FDA classifies any substance as a drug, it opens the door to just about any level of regulation they can get away with. In other words, it puts them in the driver's seat at all times.

Don't get me wrong. I am not supporting the consumption of Cheerios. This cereal is not organic, not truly whole grain, and likely made with GMO grains, something the FDA says companies are not required to divulge. The point is that the FDA is again showing that their ultimate plan is to regulate and restrict anything that may compete with pharmaceutical drugs. This could include any food or nutritional supplement -- even to the point of making it illegal to grow your own produce at home for your own consumption.

All it takes is a bit of research to prove that the FDA is corrupted by their conflicting relationships with Big Pharma, corporate farming, and other interests that influence their policies and provide financial incentives to them as well. The FDA poses as a protective agency concerned with the welfare of the public. They are setting a dangerous precedent that gives the message that only drugs can heal. If they can, or should I say if we let them, the ultimate end will be the outlaw of natural foods and supplements. The time to speak out against this travesty is now.