Kind - the maker of nut-based bars - has a request for the FDA. The company wants the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to change its standards for what can be labeled as healthy. This comes months after the snack bar maker was hit with a warning letter for using the term "healthy" on packaging for bars that were deemed too fatty. In its citizen petition, Kind says fat from things like fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains should not be counted in the tally.
Under current rules laid down by the FDA, foods labeled as healthy must contain less than 3 grams of total fat and less than 1 gram of saturated fat per serving. Products such as sugary cereal and low-fat pudding meet the definition while foods like avocados and salmon are too high in fat.
Reuters Food and Beverage reporter Anjali Athavaley says the dispute shows a new front in the healthy snack business.
"General Mills, Kellogg, theses are other bar companies that have also moved in this direction of fewer ingredients, clear packaging, stuff that people can understand and see. And, its a perception of healthy that resonates with the consumer but the question for nutritionists is how do you actually define healthy and implement a regulation that works."
The FDA declined to comment, but said the agency would respond directly to Kind once a petition is filed.
