Health claim for olive oil due July 31

WASHINGTON-The FDA will publish a letter of enforcement discretion for a qualified health claim relating to olive oil and heart health by July 31. The claim would allow olive oil marketers to tout olive oil's heart-healthy characteristics in packaging and marketing materials.

FDA Spokesperson Sebastian Cianci verified the July 31 deadline to respond to the Neptune. N.J.-based North American Olive Oil Association petition for the claim.

Cianci said NAOOA originally petitioned FDA for a significant scientific agreement claim. FDA responded last summer by asking NAOOA "if they would consider allowing us to review it under a qualified healthy claim for conventional food."

NAOOA agreed to FDA's request.

The qualified claim will be available to any olive oils meeting enforcement discretion conditions specified in the pending letter.

NAOOA is anticipating a substantial increase in U.S. olive oil consumption upon FDA's action.

U.S. consumption of imported olive oil, which accounts for more than 99 percent of national consumption, was 472,847 million pounds in 2003 vs. 267 million pounds in 1993, said Bauer.

"It has been a very steady increase. With the health claim, we expect another big jump," Bauer said.

Copyright United Publications, Inc. Aug 2004
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved