The Food and Drug Administration wants Cheerios' advertising to not mention that it lowers cholesterol. Presently Cheerios is claiming, "lower your cholesterol 4 percent in six weeks". This statement, according to the FDA, is in violation of the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. The FDA is threatening to pull all Cheerios boxes from grocery store shelves.
Even though General Mills has provided the FDA with legit clinical studies supporting that Cheerios lowers cholesterol, the FDA says that only FDA-approved DRUGS are allowed to make such claims. The only way they can advertise on TV and on their website with that claim, is to actually get an approved new DRUG application.
Actually all this is a technicality and it seems like the FDA doesn't have anything better to do. My opinion is that the FDA, which is funded by tax payers, should perhaps go after the vitamin, herb and food supplement industries which also advertise. Americans are constantly taking these pills and they aren't regulated by the FDA. I would think this is more of a threat to public health than a cereal company with legit studies supporting claims that their cereal lowers cholesterol!
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