FDA to allow yogurt makers to claim food lowers risk of type 2 diabetes

Dive Brief:

• Yogurt manufacturers can claim that consuming the dairy offering may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, the FDA said on Friday, citing “limited evidence.”
• The agency will permit companies to say that eating at least two cups of yogurt per week could lower a person’s chance of developing the disease that impacts an estimated 36 million Americans. 
• Danone North America asked the FDA to issue the so-called qualified health claim in 2018 after observing “a growing body of research” that suggested a link between yogurt and type 2 diabetes. All dairy-based yogurt makers, including competitors Chobani and Yoplait maker General Mills, will now be able to use the claim on their products.

Dive Insight:

While the FDA noted there was “some credible evidence” supporting a relationship between yogurt consumption and the reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, the agency noted it wasn’t due to any specific nutrient or compound.

In its 51-page letter, the FDA also expressed concern about using the claims on yogurts that contain a significant amount of added sugars, noting it could contribute to empty calories. “FDA encourages careful consideration of whether to use the claim on products that could contribute significant amounts of added sugars to the diet,” the agency noted.

Still, as food and beverage makers look for ways to boost consumption of their products, having the support of the FDA to make the connection between yogurt and diabetes could be hugely lucrative. The government agency’s backing is similar to other label additions adoring food products such as the American Heart Association’s “Heart-Check mark certification.”

Danone North America, which makes yogurts such as Oikos, Two Good and Activia, was upbeat about the FDA’s decision. It was hopeful that “based on this new qualified health claim, yogurt could be one of those foods” that consumers turn to lower their diabetes risk and that the announcement could give “consumers another compelling reason to shop the yogurt aisle.”

“Our hope is that this announcement will empower consumers with simple, actionable information they can use to help lower their risk of developing type 2 diabetes through a realistic, easy-to-make dietary modification,” Miguel Freitas, the vice president of health and scientific affairs at Danone North America, said in a statement.

The FDA has issued qualified health claims before for other foods, including cocoa flavanols and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease last year. In 2020, the agency said consumption of certain cranberry products could lower the chance of developing recurrent urinary tract infections in healthy women.