General Mills Responds to FDA Stating Study Shows that Cheerios Does Lower Cholesterol

The conversation goes on and General Mills is pretty confident in their answer with the study they quoted on their website in October, so it looks as though the decision is back at the FDA over whether or not they can advertise on their products and in other areas and hopefully not be called a “drug”. Stay tuned. BD

Cheerios Classified as a “Drug” by the FDA

Did you get a buzz last time you had any Cheerios? Actually the classification is due to the labeling which the FDA holds in question. A clinical study showed the cholesterol-lowering benefit is good, but the labeling does tend to lead folks on to the fact that eating the cereal is actually some sort of treatment plan. Last time I looked there was no prescription necessary to buy a box (grin).

MINNEAPOLIS—General Mills said discussions with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the cholesterol-lowering benefits of the soluble oat fiber in Cheerios continue and its looks forward to reaching a resolution.

In a letter to General Mills dated Oct. 9, 2009, FDA stated that the Johnston study (the clinical study supporting Cheerios’ claim) “appears to provide data that soluble fiber from whole oats can lower LDL cholesterol by an average of 4 percent in six weeks.”

General Mills Responds to FDA