Happy Inconsistency: Health Claims Standards at the FTC and FDA

Abstract

We live in a society increasingly preoccupied with healthy food. Restaurant menus now include "heart smart" options, network news programs run segments on teenage vegetarians, consumer groups denounce our beloved movie popcorn, and people dead set against the metric system count fat grams in their light beers. At the same time, of course, the percentage of obese people in our country has reached bulging proportions. In the face of all this, enterprising manufacturers see a way to improve the general welfare--and make a decent profit--by providing healthier foods. Educating the consumer about the benefits of a better diet is necessary to open up new market niches. Health sells, and manufacturers have been understandably eager to seize the day.