• 1/26/2005
  • Paula R. Trumbo
  • The American Society for Nutritional Sciences J. Nutr. 135:354-356, February 2005

Health claims are authorized for the labeling of foods when there is significant scientific agreement among qualified experts on the evidence for a relationship between a food or food component (substance) and a disease. Qualified health claims are permitted when there is less scientific evidence for a substance-disease relationship, therefore requiring qualifying language.

The evidence for a relationship between vitamin E and heart disease and selenium and cancer was reviewed by the U.S. FDA. It was determined that there was insufficient evidence to permit a qualified health claim for vitamin E and cancer, whereas there was some evidence for permitting a qualified health claim for selenium and cancer.

Author’s affiliation:
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, College Park, MD 20740