Certain whole grain barley products can now officially bear the claim that they may reduce the risk of heart disease.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration finalized a rule that allows labeling on such products to state that “soluble fiber from food such as [name of food], as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. A serving of [name of food] supplies [x] grams of the soluble fiber necessary per day to have this effect.”
This claim was allowed beginning in December 2005 under an interim final rule. No comments warranting changes to this interim final rule were received during a 75-day comment period, thus allowing finalization of the rule, according to the FDA.
The rule applies to whole barley and dry-milled barley products such as flakes, grits, flour, meal, and barley meal that provide at least 0.75 g of soluble fiber per serving.
Scientific evidence has shown that such foods, when included as part of a healthy diet, can lower LDL and total cholesterol levels, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease, the FDAsaid.
The barley product labeling rule is part of the FDA's pursuit of new initiatives to help consumers improve the choices they have for healthy and nutritious diets, according to a statement from Dr. Scott Gottlieb, FDA deputy commissioner.
“We firmly believe that one of the best ways to encourage healthier eating habits is to help consumers get truthful, up-to-date, science-based information about food products so that they can make choices that are based on a better understanding of the health consequences of their diets,” he said.