The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recently allowed yogurt makers to claim that their product can reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes, despite limited evidence to support this claim. This decision came after Danone North America, a popular yogurt brand, requested clearance from the FDA to make a “qualified health claim” in 2018. A qualified health claim is a claim that lacks full scientific support but is permitted as long as disclaimers are included on the product labels to avoid misleading the public. These types of claims have been allowed for dietary supplements since 2000 and for foods since 2002, following lawsuits that challenged the standard of requiring scientific agreement for product claims.
Examples of other qualified health claims include reports that consuming certain types of cocoa may reduce heart disease and that cranberry juice might help reduce the risk of recurrent urinary tract infections in women. In the case of yogurt and Type 2 diabetes, Danone submitted information from studies that showed a link between eating yogurt and lower markers of diabetes. The FDA acknowledged that there is “some credible evidence” supporting the benefit of eating yogurt as a whole food, but not due to any specific nutrient in it. However, critics of the approval of this claim argue that it is not based on gold-standard randomized controlled trials that could have definitively proven whether yogurt reduces the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy group, cautioned against the FDA’s decision to allow yogurt makers to claim that their products can reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes. They pointed out that no single food can reduce the risk of a disease that is tied to overall diet. In fact, the label change might inadvertently raise the risk of diabetes by encouraging the consumption of yogurt types that contain added sugars and unhealthy mix-ins like cookies and pretzels. Marion Nestle, a food policy expert, criticized qualified health claims based on limited evidence as “ridiculous on their face,” highlighting the potential dangers of misleading consumers with unverified health claims.
Overall, the FDA’s decision to allow yogurt makers to claim that their products can lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes has sparked controversy among experts in the field. While there is some evidence to suggest a potential link between consuming yogurt and reduced diabetes markers, the lack of definitive proof from rigorous scientific studies raises concerns about misleading the public. This issue underscores the challenges faced by regulatory agencies in balancing the promotion of potentially beneficial products with the need for clear and accurate health information for consumers. Ultimately, consumers are advised to approach these claims with caution and evaluate them in the context of their overall diet and health goals.
