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Canola Oil Health Claim
Consumers can take canola oil's new health claim to
heart; FDA rules canola oil may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular
disease.
October 6, 2006: The Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) has ruled that canola oil is now eligible to bear a qualified
health claim on its ability to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease
due to its unsaturated fat content. Canola Council of Canada president
Barb Isman says the FDA's stamp of approval is proof positive that canola
oil's unsaturated fats are really "Good for Every Body"!
"The FDA puts all health claim petitions through
rigourous scientific review," Isman says.
Here's what the FDA approved for display on containers of canola oil
and eligible products* sold in the U.S.:
Isman says the Council will be supporting the use
of this new marketing tool to promote healthy eating because "it's
now possible to point to this FDA approval to show very clearly that
all fats are not created equal".
"Canola oil is a good fat. We've said it all
along and now the FDA agrees. Canola oil provides a simple and affordable
way to improve heart health and that's great news. We're hoping as an
industry of course, that the claim will encourage more food product
designers and manufacturers to use canola oil rather than less healthy
choices."
Canola oil is high in healthy unsaturated fats (93%),
free of cholesterol and trans fat, and the lowest in saturated fat (7%)
of any common edible oil. In addition, canola oil is multi-functional
with a high heat tolerance, neutral taste and light, smooth texture.
Criteria for foods eligible to bear the claim include
containing at least 4.75 grams of canola oil per reference amount customarily
consumed, no more than one gram of trans fat and low levels of saturated
fat and cholesterol.
Background Notes
The FDA has authorized qualified health claims
(QHCs) related to heart disease risk reduction for olive oil, nuts,
walnuts and foods that contain DHA/EPA (omega-3 fatty acids) to date.
(Note that QHCs have been approved for other foods and compounds related
to different health conditions.)
The agency's announcements on each of the heart
disease-related QHCs along with their petitioners are as follows:
Olive
oil - Nov. 1, 2004 - C level QHC: Olive oil QHC petitioner: Bob
Bauer, The North American Olive Oil Association,Neptune, NJ
Tree
nuts - July 14, 2003 - B level QHC: No press release issued by FDA,
but tree nut QHC authorized per Nut QHC petitioner: D.J. Soetaert, president,
International Tree Nut Council, Nutrition Research and Education Foundation,
Davis, CA
Walnuts
- March 31, 2004 - B level QHC: Walnut QHC petitioner: Sarah E.
Taylor, J.D., R.D., M.P.H.,Covington & Burling, Washington, DC
Omega-3
Fatty Acids (conventional foods that contain EPA/DHA) - September 8,
2004 - B level QHC: Omega-3 QHC petitioner: Jonathan W. Emord, Esq.,
Emord & Associates, P.C.,Reston, VA
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