The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not require producers of conventional foods, such as fruits and vegetables, to notify the agency about their health claims and doesn’t require disclaimers.
Some claims describe the role of a nutrient or dietary ingredient intended to affect normal structure or function in humans: for example, “calcium builds strong bones.”
Such claims also may describe how ingredients maintain such structure or function: for example, “fiber maintains bowel regularity,” or “antioxidants maintain cell integrity.” They can also describe general health benefits derived from nutrients or dietary ingredients.
Structure or function claims may also describe a benefit related to a nutrient deficiency disease (like vitamin C and scurvy), as long as the statement also tells how widespread such a disease is in the United States. In other words, if the disease is essentially nonexistent in this country, the buyer is unlikely to benefit from the nutrient.
The producer is responsible for ensuring the accuracy and truthfulness of these claims; they are not preapproved by FDA but must be truthful and not misleading.
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