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FDA: Cheerios Are a "Drug?"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:15 am
by Rhodmhire
Image

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/06 ... ul-labels/

What do you think about this? Do you find rational reasoning in this? Or do you think it's utter nonsense?

Perhaps it's too extreme? Perhaps it's not extreme enough?

What do you think?

Re: FDA: Cheerios Are a "Drug?"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:19 am
by PartyPeoples
Peculiar way of going about it but justified methinks - on a side note, I have always thought it bloody funny when products have stuff like
"Might help you do X" etc. etc.
:roll:

Re: FDA: Cheerios Are a "Drug?"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:20 am
by Dododecapod
You make the claim, back it up or suffer the consequences. Nothing wrong with that,

Re: FDA: Cheerios Are a "Drug?"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:20 am
by Rhodmhire
PartyPeoples wrote:Peculiar way of going about it but justified methinks - on a side note, I have always thought it bloody funny when products have stuff like
"Might help you do X" etc. etc.
:roll:


I honestly agree that a lot of those claims are false and just plain stupid. I'm with you there. And "peculiar" is a good way of looking at it...that's really a good description of this whole thing to me...

Re: FDA: Cheerios Are a "Drug?"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:23 am
by Farnhamia
Cheerios says it can "lower your cholesterol 4 percent in six weeks." Sounds like a specific medical claim to me. Here's a link without Fox's snide remarks about Obama.

Re: FDA: Cheerios Are a "Drug?"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:23 am
by Rhalellan
When I retired, my weight got out of control(gained 20lbs) and my cholesterol went up quite a bit due to inactivity and my eating habits. My Dr. told me to start eating Cheerios and to change my work outs from 3 to 5x a week. After 6wks, everything was fine, so I have no problem with General Mills putting this on their box, especially since it does what it says it does.

Re: FDA: Cheerios Are a "Drug?"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:23 am
by Lunatic Goofballs
I think that the Fox News article starts out unnecessarily sensationalized(what a surprise!) but when you actually get past the first paragraph, you realize that the only audacious act the FDA has actually engaged in is... *gasp!* Their jobs!

Re: FDA: Cheerios Are a "Drug?"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:25 am
by Scarsaw
I think Obama is picking on them because he doesn't like cheerios :p

To be honest though, I don't understand why the FDA is attacking General Mills like this, since the claim from Cheerios somewhat accurate being that it is a healthy choice compared to the other breakfast options.

Re: FDA: Cheerios Are a "Drug?"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:27 am
by Daistallia 2104
Interesting spin on all side, of what appears to amount to a case of false advertising.

Thanks Farn for the less spun article.

FDA: Don't Advertise Cheerios as a Drug
Cheerios Maker General Mills Says FDA Warning Is Matter of Semantics
By JOHN PARKINSON and LEE FERRAN
May 13, 2009


For decades, a sunny yellow box of Cheerios has dominated breakfast tables across the nation. But this morning, the Food and Drug Administration warned the maker of the country's top-selling cereal to clean up its advertising.
The FDA wants the cereal maker to adjust its advertising claims.

The FDA said ads promoting Cheerios as a drug that can "lower your cholesterol 4 percent in six weeks" violates the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

The federal agency claims the language on the Cheerios box suggests the cereal is designed to prevent or treat heart disease. Regulators say that only FDA-approved drugs are allowed to make such claims.

The FDA warns that if General Mills doesn't "correct the violations," it risks having its cheery-looking boxes seized by federal agents right off store shelves.


Appears to be false adverts, as I suspected...

Re: FDA: Cheerios Are a "Drug?"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:28 am
by Constans
People still read and listen to Fox news? :blink:

Re: FDA: Cheerios Are a "Drug?"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:30 am
by Daistallia 2104
Scarsaw wrote:To be honest though, I don't understand why the FDA is attacking General Mills like this, since the claim from Cheerios somewhat accurate being that it is a healthy choice compared to the other breakfast options.


Not quite. From the non-Fox article from a month ago, it's clear that the FDA's after GM for false advert violations.

Re: FDA: Cheerios Are a "Drug?"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:30 am
by Farnhamia
Scarsaw wrote:I think Obama is picking on them because he doesn't like cheerios :p

To be honest though, I don't understand why the FDA is attacking General Mills like this, since the claim from Cheerios somewhat accurate being that it is a healthy choice compared to the other breakfast options.

No, they make a specific claim, that it can reduce your cholesterol by a specific amount in a specific time period. Now, Rhalellan says it worked, which is all well and good but General Mills ought to step up and prove their claim the way a drug manufacturer would, or tone down the advertising. If it's true, what's the problem?

Re: FDA: Cheerios Are a "Drug?"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:30 am
by Veblenia
Daistallia 2104 wrote:Interesting spin on all side, of what appears to amount to a case of false advertising.

Thanks Farn for the less spun article.

FDA: Don't Advertise Cheerios as a Drug
Cheerios Maker General Mills Says FDA Warning Is Matter of Semantics
By JOHN PARKINSON and LEE FERRAN
May 13, 2009


For decades, a sunny yellow box of Cheerios has dominated breakfast tables across the nation. But this morning, the Food and Drug Administration warned the maker of the country's top-selling cereal to clean up its advertising.
The FDA wants the cereal maker to adjust its advertising claims.

The FDA said ads promoting Cheerios as a drug that can "lower your cholesterol 4 percent in six weeks" violates the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

The federal agency claims the language on the Cheerios box suggests the cereal is designed to prevent or treat heart disease. Regulators say that only FDA-approved drugs are allowed to make such claims.

The FDA warns that if General Mills doesn't "correct the violations," it risks having its cheery-looking boxes seized by federal agents right off store shelves.


Appears to be false adverts, as I suspected...


This is not high on my list of complaints about the food industry, but I guess it's a start.

Re: FDA: Cheerios Are a "Drug?"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:32 am
by Vault 10
For this:
If the government's enforcement action against Cheerios were to hold up, the cereal would be pulled from grocery shelves and consumers would need a prescription to buy a box of those little oats.


I call BS on all in the article but the underlying fact, for you don't need prescriptions to buy non-dangerous drugs, and some are sold outside pharmacies.

Re: FDA: Cheerios Are a "Drug?"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:32 am
by Daistallia 2104
Constans wrote:People still read and listen to Fox news? :blink:


Amazing, ennit. Fox News Japan died several years ago and CNNj died this month. I no longer have regular US TV news. I feel smarter by the day...

Re: FDA: Cheerios Are a "Drug?"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:33 am
by Ifreann
Lunatic Goofballs wrote:I think that the Fox News article starts out unnecessarily sensationalized(what a surprise!) but when you actually get past the first paragraph, you realize that the only audacious act the FDA has actually engaged in is... *gasp!* Their jobs!

Activist....em.....guys from the FDA!

Re: FDA: Cheerios Are a "Drug?"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:35 am
by Lunatic Goofballs
Ifreann wrote:
Lunatic Goofballs wrote:I think that the Fox News article starts out unnecessarily sensationalized(what a surprise!) but when you actually get past the first paragraph, you realize that the only audacious act the FDA has actually engaged in is... *gasp!* Their jobs!

Activist....em.....guys from the FDA!


Not the FDA. Obama. Obama slapped on his FDA jacket, delivered the letter to General Mills himself and then took a dump in their bowl of Cheerios. *nod*

Re: FDA: Cheerios Are a "Drug?"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:38 am
by Daistallia 2104
Vault 10 wrote:For this:
If the government's enforcement action against Cheerios were to hold up, the cereal would be pulled from grocery shelves and consumers would need a prescription to buy a box of those little oats.


I call BS on all in the article but the underlying fact, for you don't need prescriptions to buy non-dangerous drugs, and some are sold outside pharmacies.


Indeed it's BS.

FDA sez "you can't make advertise your product as an anti-colesterol agent if it isn't" =/= "The FDA sez 'OMG CHEERIOS R teh DRUGS and need teh BANZ NOW!!!!'"

Re: FDA: Cheerios Are a "Drug?"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:38 am
by Vault 10
Lunatic Goofballs wrote:Not the FDA. Obama. Obama slapped on his FDA jacket, delivered the letter to General Mills himself and then took a dump in their bowl of Cheerios. *nod*

Might I remind y'all that, despite all these years of the War Of Terror, the arch-terrorist Osama Lan Biden has never been caught....

Re: FDA: Cheerios Are a "Drug?"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:38 am
by Constans
Daistallia 2104 wrote:
Constans wrote:People still read and listen to Fox news? :blink:


Amazing, ennit. Fox News Japan died several years ago and CNNj died this month. I no longer have regular US TV news. I feel smarter by the day...


I'm not real suprised. You have to love American media through and their following of Lack of News = Blowup of Small Stories.

Re: FDA: Cheerios Are a "Drug?"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:42 am
by Ifreann
Lunatic Goofballs wrote:
Ifreann wrote:
Lunatic Goofballs wrote:I think that the Fox News article starts out unnecessarily sensationalized(what a surprise!) but when you actually get past the first paragraph, you realize that the only audacious act the FDA has actually engaged in is... *gasp!* Their jobs!

Activist....em.....guys from the FDA!


Not the FDA. Obama. Obama slapped on his FDA jacket, delivered the letter to General Mills himself and then took a dump in their bowl of Cheerios. *nod*

That won't help lower cholesterol :(

Re: FDA: Cheerios Are a "Drug?"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:45 am
by Anamania Erintopia
Who cares?!? As long as they keep making cheerios, I'm happy. I love those little rings...but Honey-nut Cheerios are my faverite :p :rofl:

Re: FDA: Cheerios Are a "Drug?"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:46 am
by Lunatic Goofballs
Vault 10 wrote:
Lunatic Goofballs wrote:Not the FDA. Obama. Obama slapped on his FDA jacket, delivered the letter to General Mills himself and then took a dump in their bowl of Cheerios. *nod*

Might I remind y'all that, despite all these years of the War Of Terror, the arch-terrorist Osama Lan Biden has never been caught....


Except in a gaffe. ;)

Re: FDA: Cheerios Are a "Drug?"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:47 am
by Lunatic Goofballs
Ifreann wrote:
Lunatic Goofballs wrote:
Ifreann wrote:Activist....em.....guys from the FDA!


Not the FDA. Obama. Obama slapped on his FDA jacket, delivered the letter to General Mills himself and then took a dump in their bowl of Cheerios. *nod*

That won't help lower cholesterol :(


Prove it.

It is a well known fact that Barack Obama's steaming loaves can lower cholesterol by over 30% in less than 12 hours!

Re: FDA: Cheerios Are a "Drug?"

PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:49 am
by New Brittonia
Yeah, Cheerios is labeling itself as a drug..