US FDA warns Nestle, Gerber, others on food claims

U.S. health regulators have warned units of Nestle and more than a dozen other foodmakers over nutritional claims made for baby food, nuts and other products on food labels and product websites, according to letters made public on Wednesday.

The warnings came as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is set to push for new package labeling geared toward making it easier for consumers to understand the nutritional content of the foods they eat.

The FDA plans to soon issue draft guidelines for nutritional labeling, but also plans to work with the food industry to design a new labeling system, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said in an open letter to the food industry.

Hamburg said on Wednesday that the examples cited in the warnings were not indicative of labeling practices in the food industry as a whole.

In one of the warning letters, issued Feb. 22 to baby food maker Gerber, a unit of Nestle, the FDA cited issues with Gerber 2nd Foods Carrot and Graduates Fruit Puffs products saying their “labeling includes unauthorized nutrient content claims.”

The foods make claims that they are “Healthy as Fresh,” an “Excellent Source ... of Vitamin A” and “No Added Sugar,” according to the agency letter. “These regulations do not allow the claim for products specifically intended for children under two years of age,” the FDA wrote.

The FDA issued a similar warning to Beech-Nut, a unit of Swiss company Hero Group, the same day.

(For a list of the companies that received warning letters and links to those letters, see: http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/default.htm#recent)

The agency also warned Nestle, Gerber and other companies about similar nutritional claims made on company websites.

Others receiving warning letters include snack food company Diamond Foods Inc - relating to the health claims for the omega-3 fatty acids in the company’s walnuts - and Spectrum Organic Products Inc, a unit of Hain Celestial Group, over labeling for its vegetable shortening.

Nestle’s Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream unit was warned over labeling of certain products.

A Nestle spokesman said the company was cooperating with the FDA but does not comment on pending regulatory inquiries.

Hain, Beech-Nut and Diamond could not immediately be reached for comment.

The letters call for the companies to immediately correct the products’ labeling and respond to the agency within 15 days from the day of the letter.

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CHICAGO (Reuters)